The Witch's Brew
by Peonywinx
Summary: The magician Giovanni Zatara was Zatanna's father and one of Batman's trainers before he mysteriously vanished in 1994. 9 years later, a Mr. Z emerges as a traveling circus' star act. As Batman and Zatanna investigate, they learn that a deadly truth lay behind Zatara's disappearance all those years ago - a truth that may still hold lethal consequences for both Zatara and Zatanna.
1. In Which A Clue Is Found

_**A/N: I'M BACK! My goodness, it's been simply AGES - I am SO SORRY for not getting this up sooner. I can't believe it's been more than a year since I last posted a Diamond Earth fic - and I also can't believe that I promised you guys this one before the new year (facepalm). Well, that'll teach me not to make promises I can't keep. The only excuse I have is A-levels prep eating up all my time - which is a pretty good excuse, you have to admit. My final exam (urk!) starts in less than 3 weeks, but thankfully I had the whole week off for Easter and I finally managed to find time to finish this baby.**_

_**This story was a pain to write. I don't think I've had to stop and stall so many times on a story before...for some reason it just didn't want to come out right. It's probably my worst case of writer's block ever. But! I perservered, and I finished it! And not only is it the first new Diamond Earth Tale in over a year, but it's also my first story for 2014! Two birds with one stone! I am sooo back.**_

_**So, welcome again, readers, to Tales of Diamond Earth. By now you should all know what my DC universe is like, so I'm not going to summarize it here. For new readers, and for old readers who've forgotten, you can check my profile for the complete overview of Diamond Earth and of the current Tales in the archive. **_

_**Without further ado, let us begin...**_

* * *

**TALES OF DIAMOND EARTH  
**

The Witch's Brew

**Chapter One: In Which A Clue Is Found**

The young woman made her way steadily through the pouring rain, unheeding of the soaking her clothes were getting. In her hand she clutched a colorful poster; wrapped in some sort of water-repellent film, it was the only thing she was zealously guarding from the heavy raindrops.

When she reached her destination she forewent the doorbell in favor of rapping smartly on the door three times with her free hand. Precisely eight seconds later, the door was opened by the prim, astute butler.

"Good heavens, Miss Zatanna. You're thoroughly soaked!"

Zatanna shrugged impatiently – right now, her state of dryness – or lack thereof – was the least of her concerns.

"I need to see Bruce," she said.

Alfred Pennyworth opened the door wider to admit her entry. "I take it this is a matter of some urgency?"

"Yeah." Zatanna suddenly noticed, seemingly for the first time, that she was dripping water all over the immaculately polished floor. Immediately contrite, she apologized, "Sorry, Alfred…I'll clean it up in a jiffy. _Yrd roolf._" With a wave of her hand, the puddles vanished. She performed the same spell on herself and was perfectly dry in an instant.

"Thank you, Miss Zatanna. Master Bruce is in the library. You know the way, of course?"

Zatanna nodded; she was quite familiar with Wayne Manor.

"Go right ahead, then. I will be along shortly with a cup of hot tea."

"Oh, Alfred, that's not necessary…"

"As talented as you are, Miss Zatanna," Alfred cut in politely, "you were still walking through the rain and soaked to the bone. Your spell dried your clothes, and the tea will warm your insides so you don't catch your death of cold."

Zatanna smiled ruefully. "In that case, Alfred, I gladly accept your offer of tea."

After Alfred retreated to the kitchen to prepare the tea, Zatanna walked through the corridors, heading for the library. On the way she passed the game room, where twelve-year-old Jason Todd was playing some sort of sniper video game on the Playstation fixed to the 40-inch plasma screen.

_So that's the new Robin, _she noted.

When she reached the massive library in the west wing, she let herself in. Bruce Wayne was sitting in one of the armchairs by the unlit fireplace, leaning back comfortably as he balanced the book he was reading on his crossed legs.

"Afternoon, Zatanna." Only after he'd said this did he close his book and lay it on the table next to the chair. He looked up at her expectantly, knowing full well this wasn't a social visit.

"I found something." She sat down in the chair next to his and extended the poster. Wordlessly, Bruce took it and examined it.

It was a fairly ordinary-looking poster – colorful, yes, but otherwise unremarkable – advertising a circus act. Spattered in bold gold and black letters across the bottom of the glossy 8-by-12-inch page were the words, 'Mr. Z's Amazing Magic Show'. The illustration included all kinds of magic tricks – rabbits appearing from a top hat, a wand emitting sparks and stars, and a crystal ball filled with blue mist, among others – but there was no image of the magician himself.

Bruce glanced up from the poster to meet Zatanna's hopeful eyes.

"Mr. Z could be anyone," he pointed out.

"It's him." Zatanna's tone was adamant. "I know it's him."

"You can't be certain."

"Bruce, _look _at it!" Zatanna gestured at the poster. "Look at the caption."

He obliged her, his eyes finding the smaller print that read, 'Magic so impossible it could be real'.

"If that isn't his work, I don't know what is."

Alfred knocked politely on the door just then, entering the library with a tray. "Your tea, Miss Zatanna."

"Thank you, Alfred." She managed not to sound too distracted. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Anything I can get for you, Master Bruce?"

The other man held up a palm to indicate the negative. "No, thank you, Alfred – I'm fine."

"As you wish, sir." Alfred backed out of the room.

As Zatanna sipped absent-mindedly at her tea, Bruce turned his gaze back to the poster, looking thoughtful. "Where did you find this?"

"Right here, in Gotham. It was pinned on a wall along 85th Street."

"It's also outdated." Bruce pointed to the dates listed at the top of the page, which proclaimed that the circus with Mr. Z's Magic Show was in town from 19th to 26th July – well over a month ago. 85th Street did tend to be filled with adverts announcing events from several months ago; no one really bothered to take down the posters there once they'd expired.

"I know," Zatanna admitted. "But it's the first clue I've found in five years. And you promised you would help me if anything new came up," she reminded him.

"Indeed," he agreed. He checked the luxurious Rolex watch on his left wrist. "I have an appointment this evening, but I'll get Batgirl and Robin to cover patrol tonight. We can start at ten."

She nodded. "Done. Where do you want to meet?"

"Monarch Theater. You're not working tonight, are you?"

"I have a show scheduled, but I'll cancel."

Bruce nodded. "Don't get your hopes up too high, Zatanna," he cautioned. "It might be another dead end."

Zatanna sighed. "I know." She looked him straight in the eye. "But it's the only thing I have right now."

* * *

"You want me to what?" Wally West leaned back, unsure if he was hearing this right.

"_Cover my shift tonight," _Batman repeated. _"I'll take the one you have over the weekend."_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Batman _never _asked anyone to help, whether it was to aid him on a difficult case or replace him on the duty roster.

Well, okay, he wasn't that bad, but he had never asked _Wally _for a favor before.

"_Never better. Something important's come up, that's all."_

Wally reached for the calendar on his wall and flipped several pages. For some reason, it was still on May, even though they were more than a week into September now. "What day is today?"

"_Tuesday."_

_Shit_, Wally thought as he noted the corresponding date on his calendar. "Can you find someone else?"

"_Superman's busy, Hal's working, Canary's on maternity leave, and Diana, Fate, and Hawkgirl are on a mission."_

"What about J'onn?"

"_Who do you think is the second person on duty tonight?"_

"Oh, yeah." Wally groaned. "Okay, fine, but you owe me, Bats – and I mean it! I had a hot date tonight."

"_You can reschedule for the weekend. Since I'll be taking your shift, you've got the whole two days free."_

"You mind telling me what exactly is so important it can't wait till tomorrow?"

"_It's a personal matter."_

Batman had _personal _matters?

"All right, then. Guess I'll be seeing you."

The click on the other end of the line told Wally the Dark Knight had hung up. Wally wondered if he would be hearing about some big event on Gotham TV tonight.

Since the incident with Zoom almost five months ago(1), everyone had opened up about their identities. Upon realizing how knowledge of each other's secret identities could be essential – especially when their hero work affected their personal lives – Superman had suggested that they all reveal who they were behind the mask. Batman, naturally, had held out the longest against this idea, but he eventually gave in after Superman, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate coaxed him into it through a combination of reasoning and metaphorically twisting his arm.

Thinking back, Wally realized that he should have deduced who Batman was. After all, he knew Dick had been Robin, and he also knew he'd been adopted by Bruce Wayne…putting two and two together shouldn't have been so hard, particularly considering that he worked in a police lab for a living. But that just proved how effective Batman was at maintaining his two identities – Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight were so different, their personalities so irreconcilable, that even if they intersected it would be a huge, implausible leap for someone to make that the two were one and the same.

Sighing, Wally reached for the phone to cancel his date tonight. _I hope Linda isn't too ticked…_

* * *

_(1) As detailed in _Legacy_._

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**_A/N: A bit short, I know, but that gets fixed in later chapters. So, do tell me what you think by writing a few words in the box down below and clicking "review" - I always love hearing from you guys. I will be updating daily, as usual, so you may expect Chapter Two tomorrow. Oh, and for those of you who haven't yet, do feel free to check out the other Diamond Earth stories. I'm building a universe here, people ;)_**


	2. In Which Batman&Zatanna Visit A Theater

_**A/N: Thanks to **Dextra2, **the ever faithful **leathman**, and **doglover500 **for their reviews. Also thanks to **CCSG **and **Sirifoulous **for subscribing. Oh, and by the way, welcome to Diamond Earth! It's always good to meet new readers.**  
_

_**By the way, I also don't own this. Forgot to mention that yesterday. But you already knew that, I'm sure.**_

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**Chapter Two: In Which Batman And Zatanna Visit A Theater**

As arranged, Batman and Zatanna met at the Monarch Theater on Worthington Avenue at ten p.m. sharp. In decades past, the Monarch Theater had been _the _theater, the place to go if you wanted to catch the latest play or film. Its prominence had diminished somewhat since the 1990s due to the rise of shopping malls, so now, though still fairly well-frequented, it was usually only booked for concerts and operas…and magic shows. This was the venue cited on the circus poster, and that was the only reason Bruce had suggested meeting here. Under normal circumstances, he would never set foot on this road if he could help it, let alone the alley a few yards behind it.

"So what's the plan?" Zatanna asked.

"The theater manager should still be here. He might be able to tell us something more about that circus."

Zatanna shrugged. "Suits me. Shall we go in?"

"No." The answer was resolute and immediate. "The theater closes at ten, so he'll be out by ten-fifteen. We'll wait for him out here."

"Yeah," Zatanna said, "or we could just go in there now, since the theater's closed and there was no show tonight."

"The manager will be out in a few minutes," Batman argued. "We won't have to wait long."

"I've waited five years for a clue to come along."

"Exactly, so what difference does a few minutes make?"

"What is your deal?" Zatanna demanded. "Is there something about this place that spooks you? The Dark Knight of Gotham, unwilling to enter a theater because of…what? – a musty smell?"

Batman was motionless for several seconds before he finally responded. "This was the theater my parents took me to the night they died."

Zatanna blinked, her mouth forming a small 'O'. "They were killed here?"

"No. They were killed on Park Row, the alley behind. But obviously, I don't like coming here. I haven't been in Monarch Theater since they died," he admitted.

"I'm sorry," Zatanna said sympathetically. "I didn't know. We can wait." Her offer was graciously generous, but Batman could tell she was anxious to start the search for her father again.

"No, you're right," he said. "We should go in. A few minutes can make a lot of difference."

She perked up, but hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Batman shrugged. "It's just a theater, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And I know better than anyone what it's like to live without your parents. We should do everything to find your father as fast as we can."

"Thank you." Zatanna's eyes shone with gratitude and sincerity. "Shall we go in, then?"

Batman cast a glance at the theater. "Let's."

* * *

It wasn't as bad as he expected. The theater been redesigned since that fateful night twenty-five years ago, changed so that it resembled little of the building the eight-year-old Bruce Wayne had watched _The Mask of Zorro _in. Thanks to the renovation, there were no ghosts or unpleasant trips down memory lane for Batman.

They found the manager on the stage, turning off the orange glow-lights.

"Theater's closed," he told Zatanna, not noticing the Batman who was slunk in the shadows. "Come back tomorrow if you want to arrange a booking."

"Actually, I'm here to ask about a show." Zatanna showed him the poster.

"Little late, aren't you, honey?" said the manager. "That circus is long gone."

"I know. But it's quite important that I find it. I was wondering if you could give me any information."

"Well, that depends what sort of information you want. I'm pretty good about remembering stuff, but not that good."

"How about him?" Zatanna pointed at the poster. "Mr. Z. You remember him?"

"Sort of. That guy was the hit of the circus – everyone who came to the show praised him to the sky."

Zatanna now aimed for a neutral, slightly skeptical tone. "Was his magic that good?"

"Are you kidding? Lady, I've been in charge of this theater for over a decade – and believe you me, I've seen countless magicians and illusionists come through here – and this Mr. Z fellow was the only one whose tricks I couldn't work out."

Zatnna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually people know that these magic tricks – they aren't real, yeah?" he said. "And although we all enjoy having our minds blown, we still try to figure out how they managed to do it. Most of the time we can come up with some sort of explanation that maybe might be the secret – but not with Mr. Z. It's been more than a month since his circus left and I still don't have the slightest clue how he did the things he did."

Zatanna exchanged a meaningful glance with Batman. Only true magicians could pull that off. Of the many fellow illusionists she'd encountered during her career, she had met only one who was her equal in the magical arts – but she tried not to think about him, because of…reasons.

"What did he look like?" Batman questioned, coming out of the shadows and making the manager jump about a foot in the air.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, his eyes becoming large and round. "B-Batman?"

"Relax," said Batman. "I just need some answers. What did Mr. Z look like?"

"Um…" The manager frowned. "Pretty ordinary, I guess. Except for his moustache – he had one fine moustache," he added helpfully. His finger subconsciously stroked his upper lip, and he seemed to forget his fear of Batman. "Oh, that was a beauty, that was. Me, I've been trying to grow a moustache like that for years, and it's never worked. Either it's too straggly, or too wiry, or too bushy…"

"Did he look something like this?" Zatanna withdrew a faded, six-year-old photograph from her coat and offered it to the manager. She had retrieved it from her box of mementos underneath the bed in her trailer before coming to the theater.

The manager slipped on a pair of glasses with one hand as he took the photograph and peered at it. "I dunno. I guess it could be him – but I never saw him without his stage makeup, so I can't give you a definite identification."

"What about the circus itself?" asked Batman. "What was the name of the circus?"

The manager paused midway through taking off his glasses, looking thoughtful. "Well, don't that just beat all," he said finally. "I've forgotten."

Zatanna tried to hide her frustration. This interview was going nowhere.

Batman, however, kept his cool. Smoothly, he queried, "Can you remember what other acts there were?"

"Er, just usual circus stuff," the manager replied. "You know – clowns, trapeze artists, unicycles, juggling, knife-throwing, fire-eating…no animals, though – you know, the animal rights movement and all – not in the acts, at least…but there were definitely a few pet dogs and cats."

"Did anyone in the circus mention where they were going next?"

"Oh, yes." The manager nodded. "That I remember. Nobody took down the damn poster, and people just don't bother to read the fine print which tells you the dates the circus'll be in town – I had to keep telling folk who came here looking to attend Mr. Z's show that the circus had moved on to Metropolis."

Zatanna glanced at Batman, hope rising. It wasn't much, but it was a lead.

Batman nodded, both to acknowledge the manager and to let Zatanna know he knew what she was thinking. "We'll be in touch if we need anything else," he informed the manager. He touched Zatanna on the arm before melting into the shadows; the mistress of magic followed soon after, leaving the theater manager alone on his dimly lit stage.

* * *

_**A/N: Yes, another short chapter. Sorry about that - I promise tomorrow's will be longer.**_


	3. In Which Superman Is Asked To Hunt

_**A/N: Thanks to **LSZero, doglover500**, and **leathman **for their reviews****, **BullinaChinaShop **for subscribing.**_

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**Chapter Three: In Which Superman Is Asked To Hunt Down A Circus**

The phone on his desk trilled, and the mild-mannered reporter reached over to pick it up.

"Good morning. This is the Daily Planet, Clark Kent speaking."

_"I need you to do me a favor."_

Clark straightened in his seat. "Bruce?" he questioned disbelievingly, keeping his voice low.

The baritone voice at the other end barely paused. _"Can you do it for me?"_

"Why are you calling my office phone?"

_ "Clark, yes or no?"_

"Yes," Clark replied unhesitatingly. Bruce so rarely asked for help; for him to do so meant that it was important. "Of course. What do you need?"

* * *

Flash yawned as he glanced at his watch. As he hadn't expected to be on monitor duty tonight, he hadn't caught a quick nap in the evening the way he normally did when he knew he would be up all night; now that he was approaching the end of Batman's shift, he was having trouble keeping awake.

At 6:00 am, on the dot, the blue light on the teleporter materialized by remote activation, and J'onn stepped onto the Watchtower. The Martian looked surprised to find Flash there.

"Flash?" he questioned. "What are you doing here? I thought this was Batman's shift?"

Flash half-stifled another yawn before replying. "He asked me to take over for him."

J'onn's brow furrowed. "Batman requested you to replace him?"

"I know, it's out of character for him, isn't it?" Flash typed his access code into the computer to log out of monitor duty. He waved at J'onn as he passed the Martian on the way to the teleporter. "It's all yours, J'onn."

* * *

"We should be out there," Zatanna fretted, glancing out the window of the Wayne Manor kitchen at the sunny sky outside. "We should be in Metropolis looking for that circus. Bruce…" She set her palms on the breakfast table and leaned across the surface to meet the coffee-drinking billionaire at eye level. "I need to be out there."

"You," Bruce rejoined, "have a show tonight."

"Who cares about my show?"

"Zatanna, you still need to make a living," he reminded her. "You already canceled last night's show."

"I don't have to cancel," she said. "I can teleport to Metropolis, spend the day searching, and be back in time for my show at eight."

"Zatanna." Bruce's expression softened slightly. "Our being in Metropolis won't be much use. I have someone looking for clues there already. He'll be able to find out more than we could."

"Oh, really?" Zatanna was skeptical. "Who's this person who can investigate better than the World's Greatest Detective?"

"A person with X-ray vision and super-hearing." Bruce calmly took another sip of his coffee, then proceeded to unfold today's newspaper, pretending not to notice Zatanna's stunned face.

"You…put Superman on the trail?"

"He'd be the best person to investigate in Metropolis. He'll get faster results than we would."

"Bruce, I…I don't know what to say."

Bruce nodded. "You're welcome."

"Aaaghh, I'm gonna be late for school!" Jason Todd flew in, clearly in a hurry, school shirt untucked, tie hanging loose, bag half-open and sagging from one shoulder. The boy snatched the bacon off the breakfast plate Alfred had conscientiously prepared and gobbled it down, chasing it with half his glass of milk.

"Bye, Bruce!" Jason rushed out and was met in the doorway by Alfred.

"Gracious!" the old butler exclaimed. "Master Jason, please slow down."

"Can't," said Jason as he sidestepped Alfred. "I'm late!"

"Late?" Alfred glanced at the kitchen clock. "But it's only eight o' clock."

Jason stopped in the middle of his frenzied dash for the front door and backpedaled to stare at the clock above the counter. "Eight?" he repeated. "That's not right, my alarm…" He trailed off as a suspicion occurred to him, and glared at the man sipping coffee at the breakfast table. "Bruce…"

"You've been late to school far too many times," Bruce told him. "I thought I should do something to get you up earlier."

"You set my clock a whole hour fast!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "It worked, didn't it?"

Alfred cut off Jason's grumbling by telling him to sit down and eat his breakfast properly. Zatanna, meanwhile, had been observing the whole process with some amusement.

Bruce sighed. "Not a word, Zatanna."

Zatanna raised her hands in mock surrender. Jason looked up from his breakfast, seeming to notice her for the first time.

"Oh…hi," he greeted. "I didn't know Bruce had a guest. Uh…you are…?"

"Zatanna." She nodded amicably at him.

The rest of breakfast was spent in sociable silence broken by the occasional comment. At eight-thirty Jason left for school, leaving Bruce and Zatanna in the kitchen.

"He's a good kid," Zatanna remarked. "He might have a bit of an attitude problem when he gets older, though."

"I know," said Bruce. "I can see the signs. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Zatanna threw him a sidelong glance. "You can see the signs?" she repeated. "Is that because you were like that when you were his age?"

"No." Bruce smiled dryly. "I was worse."

Zatanna scoffed. "I noticed you've changed your parenting style," she observed. Bruce looked at her questioningly, so she clarified, "The alarm clock? You were never that subtle with Dick."

"Maybe that was my mistake." Bruce looked contemplative. "I was a hard father to Dick. Maybe it was necessary, maybe it wasn't – but I was a hard father. And he still hasn't forgiven me for it." Bruce shrugged away his moment of vulnerability and continued, "I don't want to make the same mistake with Jason."

Zatanna stared at him for a long while. "Dick's still giving you the cold shoulder?"

Bruce smiled wryly. "It's not frozen, but it's definitely chilly."

"It's been four years," Zatanna pointed out.

"When he wants to, he's very good at holding a grudge. Something we have in common."

"All right," she said. "You may not like what I'm going to say next, but I'm saying it anyway. I know it's not your style, but have you ever considered that you can be the one to take the first step?"

"A few times," Bruce admitted.

"But…?" she prompted.

"I've never found the right time to do it."

"It never will be the right time, Bruce. You can't keep making excuses. You should do it. And you should do it soon, because you never know what's going to happen."

"Speaking from experience?" Bruce asked pointedly. Zatanna sighed.

"If you're asking whether I had a fight with my father before he disappeared, the answer is no. But he _did _disappear, Bruce – and unlike you, he didn't spend his nights going after criminals and gangsters."

Bruce wasn't sure he wanted to hear where this was going. "And your point would be…?"

"Being Batman's a dangerous job, Bruce," Zatanna pointed out. "Being Nightwing isn't much better. If either of you get killed or captured before you reconcile, both you and Dick will regret it for the rest of your lives. So take it from somebody who knows what she's talking about – for your sake and Dick's, get over yourself and apologize before it's too late."

* * *

Of all the (very few) favors Bruce had ever asked him to do, Clark decided this was definitely the strangest. The Last Son of Krypton had no idea why Gotham's Dark Knight was suddenly searching for a circus, but he wasn't about to pry. Bruce would tell him if he wanted him to know. Being friends with the Batman for over half a decade had taught him that Bruce was an extremely private person who entrusted his secrets to very few, and if he didn't want to tell something, it would not be told regardless of the amount of cajoling.

That didn't make the favor any less strange, though.

After spending the morning searching on the internet for any online advertisements about circuses that had come to Metropolis between 30 – 40 days ago and coming up empty, Clark had then taken a different approach and looked for all possible venues in the city capable of hosting a circus. With this method he came up with a fairly long list of possible locations, and he was now on his way to question the managers of each site to see which venues had hosted a circus a month ago.

At his fourth stop he struck gold.

"Yeah, we had a circus here about a month back," the manager said. "Cirque de Léger, I think it was called."

"Really?" Clark jotted the name down in his notebook. "Do you happen to know if one of the acts was called Mr. Z?"

The managed shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't in town when the circus was here – my assistant manager handled the arrangement. But she's on vacation now."

Clark politely nodded. "Okay, thank you."

After interviews at several more locations, Clark realized that there had been several circuses in Metropolis during the time frame Bruce had given him. In order to avoid missing out on any, he'd have to go through all the locations on his list.

Clark looked down at his list and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

_**A/N: Reviews make me happy! Till tomorrow!**_


	4. In Which Las Vegas Becomes Interesting

_**A/N: There seems to be some strange thing about me that only attracts reviewers in threes, lol. Third day, and once again three reviewers to thank - **LSZero, leathman, doglover500 **- thank you.**  
_

_**By the way, if you're wondering about the chapter titles, some of them are too long to fit in FanFiction's character limit for titles (remind me why they have that again?), so I've had to shorten some of them - including today's chapter title - when I post. There will inevitably be a few weird names because I've had to shave off the last few words, but the full title will always be in the story itself.  
**_

* * *

**Chapter Four: In Which Las Vegas Becomes An Interesting Place**

Bruce picked up his phone, answering it with a simple, "Well?"

Well used to the Wayne heir's economy of words, Clark replied, _"There were five circuses in town during the time frame you gave me. I wasn't able to find out which one had a Mr. Z magic act."_

Bruce's fingers were already ready on his laptop. "Circus names?"

Clark rattled them off to him.

"Thank you, Clark."

_"You're welcome. Anything else you need me to do?"_

"No." Bruce would have cut off the call there, but he sensed that his Kryptonian friend had more to say. "What?"

_"What are you looking for, Bruce?"_

"Someone I used to know. It's personal." Then he added, "Don't worry – if I need help, I'll ask for it."

_"This search of yours doesn't involve something supremely dangerous, does it?"_

A wry smile twisted Bruce's mouth. "No. I'm just helping out a friend."

_"Ah…all right."_

"And about that other matter I know you want to discuss…"

_"Who, me?" _Clark said innocently. Bruce snorted.

"We can talk about it during monitor duty tonight."

_"Flash is on monitor duty with me tonight."_

"I switched with him. Now, if you don't mind, I have a circus to find." Bruce terminated the call and typed each of the five circus names into his internet search engine. _Where are you, Mr. Z?_

* * *

"I still say we should have pounded that smug little man into the ground," Hawkgirl grumbled. She, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate were returning from their mission to a planet in a nearby star system that had called for help in overthrowing a dictatorial warlord who was committing genocide on neighboring worlds. After a few false starts, Doctor Fate had succeeded in magicking the self-styled emperor into a prison and they had left the villain to be dealt with by the people he had oppressed.

"It wasn't necessary," Doctor Fate said. "Believe me, the people of that world will punish him better than we could have."

Hawkgirl 'hmphed' and stretched her wings as far as the cramped cockpit allowed to relieve the ache in them. Wonder Woman, who was piloting the Javelin, hastily ducked out of the way of one feathered end and scowled.

"Hawkgirl," she reproved, with all the regal manner of a princess.

"I'm sorry, princess, but my wings are aching from being folded up so long."

"We're almost at the Watchtower," Wonder Woman told her as the Thanagarian retracted her wings.

In a few minutes, the orbiting space station came into view. Wonder Woman keyed a pass code into the computer with one hand. The Watchtower, recognizing the authorized signature code of a Justice League member, opened the hangar bay to admit the Javelin.

Green Lantern, the current Leaguer on duty, met them outside the hangar with a grin.

"Welcome back," he greeted expansively. "How was life on Murgador?"

"It left much to be desired." Hawkgirl unfurled her wings to their full span; a look of satisfaction appeared on her face. "Ahh…"

"I take it the mission went well?" Lantern inquired.

"It was all right," Wonder Woman said.

Just then the alert system started blaring, letting the Leaguers know that one of the monitors had picked up trouble on Earth.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hawkgirl groaned. "We _just _got back."

"I'll be sure to tell the villains they've got a lousy sense of timing," Green Lantern said jokingly, already on his way to the monitor womb.

"Do you need help?" Wonder Woman offered.

"Depends on what the trouble is."

They all headed for the bridge, where the blinking red dot on the global map on display on one of the monitors let them know where the trouble was.

"Las Vegas," Green Lantern noted. He typed in a quick command to narrow it down further. "More specifically, the Circus Circus Casino Resort."

"What seems to be the trouble?" asked Wonder Woman.

Green Lantern typed in another command. "Looks like the casino machines have come to life and are terrorizing the bettors."

"That reeks of the mystical," Doctor Fate noted. "I'd better come with you."

"All right," Green Lantern agreed. "Let's go."

"Are you sure you don't need our help?" Wonder Woman questioned as she punched the coordinates for Circus Circus into the teleport computer.

"We'll call for backup if we need it," Green Lantern assured her.

The blue light descended on the teleport platform and dematerialized them in an instant.

Hawkgirl yawned, stretching her wings again. "Well, I'm gonna grab something to eat."

* * *

The casino of Circus Circus was a mess. The machines had indeed come to life and were lumbering around the casino, spitting stacks of plastic and metal tokens everywhere – the vast majority of these, however, bounced harmlessly off objects that remained inanimate, instead of hitting the casino workers and visitors.

"This is the weirdest thing I have ever seen," Green Lantern remarked, looking around at the wandering gambling equipment. He narrowly avoided colliding with a walking blackjack table.

Doctor Fate, meanwhile, sniffed experimentally at the air. "This magic scent is familiar…"

"About time you gents arrived." A blond man in an earth brown trench coat walked into view from behind a slot machine; he had a noticeable British accent. "What does a bloke have to do to get some attention around here?"

"Uh…what?" Green Lantern asked, nonplussed.

"John Constantine," said Doctor Fate.

"In the flesh." John Constantine slid a cigarette between his lips and lit it.

"I should have known this was your handiwork." Doctor Fate gestured at the chaotic casino. "Las Vegas is your preferred locale. I recognized your magical aroma the minute I walked in."

"You know this guy?" Green Lantern inquired.

"We've met. Lantern, meet John Constantine – he's an occult detective from Liverpool, England."

"I'm guessing he's also a magician?" Lantern eyed the still-mobile machines.

"Indeed. Constantine, do you mind?" Fate asked pointedly.

"Hm? Oh, right." Constantine waved his hand and muttered an incantation; at once the machines and tables returned to their original places, inanimate once again. Only the tokens still littering the casino floor indicated that anything out of the ordinary had happened here. "There." He took a draught from his cigarette as he glanced at Doctor Fate's golden helmet, then blew out the smoke. "You know I hate that bloody helmet, right? I can never tell what you're thinking. Right now, though, I'm getting the feeling that you don't entirely approve of what I've done."

Fate folded his arms. "Do you expect otherwise?"

Constantine snorted. "I had everything under control. I needed to get your attention."

"Well, you have it. Now tell me what this was all about."

Constantine took another draught from the cigarette and puffed out the smoke before answering.

"I need to talk to Batman."

* * *

"You called me?" Zatanna asked as she let herself into the Batcave. Bruce was seated in front of the main computer, suited up as Batman, but with his cowl hanging free.

"I think I've made some headway on the circuses."

"Great." Zatanna sounded genuinely pleased. "What do you have?"

"Superman found out that there were five circuses that came to Metropolis about a month ago. I've managed to narrow it down to three, because the other two have online websites that advertise all their acts – Mr. Z isn't one of them."

"Okay. So how do we find out which one of the three it is?"

"I'm still working on that," Bruce admitted. "None of them is on the internet, and Superman couldn't tell me which city any of them traveled to next. These are the small enterprises – the type of circuses which have a close-knit community, in the business for the love of the art, not the money."

"Huh. Well, the circus biz isn't exactly very lucrative, anyway."

"A few are."

Zatanna shrugged. "Well, anyway, what's our next move?"

"It'll have to wait until I get back from monitor duty," replied Bruce. Zatanna made a face.

"Does it have to?"

"I have other responsibilities, Zatanna," he reminded her.

Zatanna sighed. "Yeah, I know." She smiled wryly. "Ever think it would be easier if you'd stayed the lone wolf you were when we first met?"

"Easier, perhaps, but not efficient." His comlink rang in his ear. "Hang on," he said to Zatanna. "Batman," he answered.

_"Hey, Bats," _responded Green Lantern's voice. _"Listen – there's someone who wants to talk to you."_

"Who is it?"

_"Guy by the name of John Constantine. Do you know him?"_

Bruce frowned and exchanged a look with Zatanna, who returned his gaze questioningly.

"What does he want to talk to me about?"

_"He won't say."_

"Well, then, I can't talk to him. I'm due on the Watchtower for monitor duty in a few minutes." Bruce waited expectantly while Lantern conferred with Constantine.

_"He says it's related to your search. I have no idea what he's talking about."_

Bruce's brow furrowed further. "I do. Where are you?"

_"Fate's tower."_

"Take him to the Watchtower. I'll meet you there."

_"Bats, are you sure?" _Green Lantern sounded rather taken aback. _"We don't know this guy – and he was wreaking havoc in a casino an hour ago. Is it wise to take him to our headquarters?"_

"Don't worry. He's on our side. Sort of." Bruce pulled on his cowl and looked at Zatanna. "And Lantern?"

_"Yeah?"_

Batman typed data into his computer. "Input a new biosignature into the teleporter. I'm sending the information to the Watchtower computer now. Once you've done that, teleport us both up."

_"Okay." _If the Lantern thought Batman's request was strange, he didn't question it. One did not simply question the Dark Knight of Gotham – that was better left to Superman and Wonder Woman, and perhaps Doctor Fate.

"Am I going to the Watchtower?" Zatanna queried.

"Yes," Batman answered.

"Cool. But, um…why?"

"John Constantine wants to talk to us about our search."

Zatanna inhaled sharply. "John? What does he know about it?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

* * *

_**A/N: First off, apologies to **LSZero **for John Constantine. When I first started writing this story, I wasn't actually going to put him in it. Then somehow he snuck his way in and became a pretty integral part of the story (you'll find out why later). Hopefully you'll still read? Though I'll understand if you don't.**_

_**On the other hand, I know **leathman **was hoping Constantine would make an appearance. So here you go, and thanks for all the info you gave me on him. I've never read, written, or watched anything with John Constantine in it before, so you have my apologies if I've gotten his characterization slightly wrong. Feel free to correct me.**  
_

_**Oh, and please, everyone, don't let the spell of threes stop you from reviewing ;) I welcome all.**_


	5. In Which John Constantine Is A Pain

_**A/N: Same three reviewers as always, so thanks to **doglover500, leathman, **and **LSZero**. And, well, if I only have three reviewers, at least they're loyal. Glad you all are still reading and enjoying.**  
_

_**By the way, **LSZero**, to be completely honest, it slipped my mind that Hawkgirl's mace disrupts magic. Lol. Thanks for the reminder.**  
_

* * *

**Chapter Five: In Which John Constantine Is A Pain**

John Constantine whistled in awe when he stepped out of Doctor Fate's portal into the Watchtower. "Niiice," he said admiringly, his gaze roving around the sleek design of the interior of the monitor womb.

Wonder Woman, who had been watching the monitors, looked surprised to see him there. "Who," she wanted to know, "is this?"

Constantine cast his appraising eye over her lovely body, his glance lingering discreetly on her well-endowed chest, curvy hips, and long, smooth legs. He whistled again, in appreciation this time. "Good evening, gorgeous."

"Excuse me?" Wonder Woman asked, wondering(1) if she ought to be affronted or not.

"The name's John Constantine, Princess," he introduced himself, bowing with a flourish. "And might I say, you are one fit bird."

Green Lantern rolled his eyes and set about entering Zatanna's biosignature into the computer in preparation for teleport.

"You aren't here to flirt, Constantine," Doctor Fate reproved.

"Jeez, Fate, you're a right gobby(2), aren't you?" Constantine snarked.

"Fate, who _is _this man?" Wonder Woman demanded.

Fate sighed, rubbing the side of his helmet with his fingers. "He's a magician I met about six years back. He was trying to shut down an operation by an occultist group called the Cult of the Cold Flame. I gave him a hand, then we went our own ways. We've encountered each other several more times since then."

"So what is he doing here?" she asked as two figures materialized on the teleport pad.

"He wants to talk to me." Batman stepped down from the teleport pad, Zatanna by his side.

Constantine grinned crookedly. "Well, well, if it isn't the Dark Knight of Gotham," he said snidely. "And you brought Zee. Hello, Zee. How are you?"

"Spare me," said Zatanna. "What do you know?"

"What? Just like that?" Constantine feigned a wounded look. "No hugs, kisses, or even a polite 'hello' for your ex-boyfriend?"

"John!" Zatanna exclaimed.

"Ah, I love it when you use me first name."

"Enough," Batman growled, while Wonder Woman and Green Lantern looked on in bewilderment. Only Doctor Fate seemed to understand what was going on. "Leave your romantic attachments out of this, Constantine, and say what you came here to say."

Constantine suddenly became serious. "I know about your search for Zatara."

"Who told you we were looking for him?" Zatanna demanded.

"I'm a detective, sweetheart. And a magician to boot. I have my sources."

"You caused a ruckus in Las Vegas just to tell us that?" Batman said, a sharp point in his tone – one that clearly said 'get on with it'.

"Not just that." Constantine glanced at Zatanna. "Stop looking for him."

"Why the hell would I do that?" Zatanna was outraged.

"Zatanna…" Batman placed a warning hand on her arm. She shook it off and advanced towards her former flame, furious.

"You have got some _nerve_ telling me to stop searching for my father after everything you did."

"Bollocks!" Constantine exclaimed. "This has nothing to do with that."

"Then what _does _it have to do with?"

"It's about _protecting _you, that's what it bloody has to do with!"

"Protecting me?" Zatanna scoffed. "You tell me, John – you tell me right now how you're protecting me by telling me to stop looking for my father."

"Because if you keep looking, you're bleedin' well gonna get hurt!"

Zatanna froze in her tracks, staring at Constantine's angry face. "He's dead?" she asked weakly.

"Shit, Zee, I didn't say that."

"So he's alive, then?" she challenged.

"I didn't say that either…"

"Damn you, John." She grabbed him by the collar of his trench coat and, with surprising force, slammed him against the wall.

"Bloody hell, Zee!" Constantine yelled.

"Er…shouldn't we do something?" Green Lantern asked uncertainly.

"We'd better stay out of it," Batman suggested. His eyes narrowed to slits beneath his cowl. "But if they start getting violent, then we need to step in."

"And Zatanna slamming Constantine against the wall doesn't count as violent?"

"I know Zee. She's got it under control. It's when Constantine starts slamming people against walls that we should worry."

"Don't screw with me, John Constantine," Zatanna hissed. "You of all people should know what this means to me. _Is my father dead or alive?_"

She let the question hang in the air, charging the atmosphere with tension so thick it could be cut by a knife. All the while, her eyes never left Constantine's.

Finally, Constantine sighed and lowered his gaze. "He's alive."

Zatanna exhaled violently, inwardly reeling; her hands dropped from Constantine's collar of their own accord, and she found she no longer had the strength to stand. She slid to her knees; Batman was by her side in a moment.

"Zatanna?"

"He's alive," she whispered. "Batman, he's alive!"

"But you can't go looking for him, Zee," Constantine interjected harshly.

"Shut up, John. My father's alive, and I'm going to find him."

"Bloody hell, Zee – do you think I'm pissing around?" Constantine sounded furious. "I'm telling you this for your own bloody protection – _drop the search_."

"I have had it up to _here _with –"

"Zatanna," Batman cut her off. "Wait." He turned to Constantine, his gaze piercing. "Out with it, Constantine. What do you know about Zatara?"

Constantine didn't quite meet Batman's eyes before looking back at Zatanna. "Only that he's alive."

"Then why are you so insistent that we drop the search?"

"I was brushing up on my divination a couple of days ago – I've rather let it fall behind, you know how I hate doing it," he added to Zatanna. "I wasn't at it long – but I saw enough."

"What did you see?" Batman questioned.

Constantine did not answer straightaway, choosing to crouch down to Zatanna's level. "Zee, you have to believe me," he said earnestly. "You're in danger if you keep this up. I don't know what kind or how bad, but the danger is real."

Batman noted that even if Constantine's 'divination' excuse didn't quite ring true, even if he was a pain in the ass who avoided answering their questions, he was absolutely sincere about this.

"John," Zatanna said wearily, "it's my father. Whatever the risk, I'm willing to take it."

Constantine pressed his lips together, then relaxed them and exhaled. "Fine," he relented, straightening. "Horses for courses(3). I've done what I can."

"John…" Zatanna began; Constantine didn't let her finish.

"You're a grown woman, Zatanna. You make your own choices. If you're so damn stubborn enough to get yourself killed, that's up to you." His gaze on hers was penetrating, yet still hiding some sort of pain. He withdrew a purple gem from his pocket. "Just don't expect me to be the arse sitting around watching you do it."

The gem in his hand lit up and encased him in light; when it faded, he had vanished from the Watchtower.

"What the…?" Everyone turned to see Hawkgirl standing at the far end of the bridge, sandwich in hand; she had entered just in time to catch Constantine's disappearing act. She looked around, taking in the scene before her – Zatanna was sitting on the floor, supported by Batman; Doctor Fate was standing nearby, stoic as always under his helmet; Wonder Woman and Green Lantern were farther away, looking completely lost.

Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow. "So…anyone want to tell me what in Thanagar just happened?"

* * *

1. Pun not intended.

2. "Gobby": British slang for a person who talks too loudly in an overly blunt or opinionated way. Constantine isn't quite using it right, but you get the idea.

3. "Horses for courses": A British saying that means "each to his/her own".

* * *

_**A/N: Pardon the English speech - I don't quite know Constantine's mannerisms or how to use British slang, so I did what I could with the help of the internet - so I'm sorry if it doesn't sound right. I can claim a little creative license here, right?**_


	6. In Which A Tale Of Magicians Is Told

_**A/N: And all of a sudden, three reviewers is down to one. Huh. Thanks,** leathman**, for continuing to review. **_

_**And no, actually, I did not know about Amethyst or Gemworld or any kind of magic gem when I wrote that bit last chapter, and only found out about it when I wiki-ed it after reading your review. Isn't it freaky and cool how I somehow make these references unintentionally? Reminds me of the time when I discovered my headcanon of Koriand'r being a princess was actually true canon.**_

* * *

**Chapter Six: In Which A Tale Of Magicians Is Told**

It took several minutes for Doctor Fate to explain to Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl about Zatanna's father, her relationship with Batman and John Constantine, and the apparent implications of the emotionally-charged scene they had just witnessed between the two magicians (Batman, of course, had not deigned to explain anything and had instead swept out of the control room with Zatanna without a word).

"I've known Zatanna's family for a long time," Fate began. "Her father Zatara was a good friend of mine. Almost a decade ago he disappeared without explanation, leaving Zatanna on her own."

"What happened to him?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I don't know," Fate admitted. "He did not take me into his confidence, and after some time I believed he had passed from this world. Clearly, I was wrong."

"How did Constantine know that he's alive when you didn't?" Green Lantern asked.

Doctor Fate sounded wry. "John Constantine possesses the power of synchronicity wave traveling."

"Synchron-what?"

"It means he has an uncanny tendency to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time," Wonder Woman explained.

"In other words, he is an extremely fortunate individual," Doctor Fate said. "He probably conveniently happened to cross paths with Zatara at some point."

"There's such a thing as magic luck?" Hawkgirl sounded skeptical.

"I wouldn't precisely call it that, but whatever it is, Constantine has it." Fate continued, "From the beginning, Zatanna was determined to find her father. She refused to believe that he could have died, and made it her life's mission to at least discover what had happened to him. The search, however, has never been easy – Zatara's trail has grown cold and dormant, and Zatanna often had to temporarily halt her search when she exhausted all leads, only to resume it when another clue surfaced. I presume one such clue has come to light recently to cause her current fervent endeavor."

"And Batman is helping her because…?" Green Lantern hastily added, "I ask because Bats is not normally one to take time off from Gotham to help somebody else in a cold search."

"True," Fate conceded. "Batman puts the protection of his city above almost all else – but Batman also has a history of helping those he considers his friends."

"How does he know Zatanna?" Hawkgirl inquired interestedly. "I mean, she helped us with Parallax(1), but I got the feeling they knew each other before then."

"That I don't know," Doctor Fate confessed. "I'm not sure how they met, but it was before he became Batman, certainly."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Wonder Woman asked.

"If we're needed, Batman will approach us. He would not appreciate our butting in without being asked. In some cases that may be necessary, but not in this. In the meantime, we have other obligations." Fate exhaled. "I shall be going home now. Goodnight, my friends." He creates an ankh portal and disappeared.

Hawkgirl yawned. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going back to Midway to get some sleep."

"I should be getting back to Coast City as well," said Green Lantern. "I have a date."

"Carol?" Hawkgirl guessed.

"Uh-huh." Lantern glanced at Wonder Woman. "What about you, Diana?" he asked. "You heading home or…?"

Wonder Woman shook her head. "I think I'll stay. I'm not tired, and I can help Batman with monitor duty, at least, even if he won't let me help with Zatanna's father."

Lantern exchanged a glance with Hawkgirl – both of them, along with Flash, suspected that something more than friendship was beginning to develop between the Dark Knight and the Amazon princess – and shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He and Hawkgirl stepped on the transporter, and a moment later they had both teleported to their respective cities.

* * *

All was quiet in the dimly-lit conference room Batman had taken Zatanna to. Gotham's protector stood silent vigil in a corner, while the mistress of magic pored over her muddled thoughts and recovered from the confrontation with Constantine.

"So…" Zatanna said at length, "What do we do now?"

"That depends," came the enigmatic reply. "What do you want to do?"

Zatanna raised her head to look sharply at him. "Don't tell me you think I should stop the search too."

"I'm not saying that."

"Then what do you want to say?" Zatanna demanded wearily. "I'm not in the mood to play guessing games with you tonight, Bruce. Just spit it out."

"Zee." Batman sat down next to her. "It's your choice. You heard what Constantine said. If you want to stop, by all means, stop. Otherwise, we'll continue our search as planned."

Zatanna eyed him expectantly. "You know what my answer is."

Batman smiled dryly. "Yes, I do." His hand brushed her shoulder. "Go home. Get some rest. We'll make our next move tomorrow, after my shift is over."

"You sound like you already know what our next move is."

Batman was silent for a short moment. Then he said, "I think we'll have to pay a visit to Constantine."

"What?!" Zatanna couldn't believe her ears.

"He knows something, Zee. He never said how he knew your father was alive. He may know which circus Zatara is with."

"You mean I have to go back and talk to that chain-smoking, self-righteous ass _again_?"

"Do you want to find your father or not?" Batman asked her pointedly.

"Ugh, fine," she grumbled. She did not look happy at all. Batman frowned.

"Zatanna, what happened between you and him?"

Surprised, Zatanna shot him a questioning look. "Since when were you interested in my love life?"

"I'm not. But if your history with Constantine is going to affect your judgment, I need to know about it."

"Don't worry, it won't."

"I'll be the judge of that. So…" Batman crossed his arms. "What happened?"

Zatanna sighed. "You know John. He does what he thinks is right, and to hell with the consequences, or whether anyone else thinks it's right. He had lung cancer, you know – I kept telling him his damn smoking habit was going to make him sick one day."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "Had?"

"Exactly. Had." Zatanna scowled. "The stupid idiot went and tricked an actual demon from hell into curing him, and now he's completely immune to the effects of smoking. In fact, now he never gets sick, period."

"And the problem is…?"

"The problem," hissed Zatanna, "is that he literally made a deal with the devil, and his blood is now demonically tainted. He said it was 'no big deal' and that he could escape whatever the demon wanted from him in exchange, because he's 'good that way'. He never even thought to discuss something so major with me, or even to tell me what he'd done – I had to find out myself from his doctor that his cancer was miraculously gone."

"Zatanna, I still don't see your point."

Zatanna puffed out her breath. "The point is, if my boyfriend goes and gets himself involved with demons without even considering how it affects his girlfriend, then he's not a good boyfriend to have. The last thing I need is for him to pull me into some hellish matter just because it serves his purpose."

Batman gazed at her intently.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Are you sure this won't affect your judgment?"

"Of course it'll affect my judgment, Bruce," Zatanna said exasperatedly. "There's too much history there for it not to." Her eyes became steel. "But I guarantee you it won't be a problem."

"Fine," Batman accepted, the way he would not for the great majority of his colleagues. "As long as you know what you're doing."

"Believe me," she said, "I do."

* * *

Superman arrived on the Watchtower for his shared shift with Batman just a moment after Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, and Hawkgirl had dematerialized. He looked surprised to see Wonder Woman standing by the console.

"You just missed it," she informed him.

"I just missed what?" he asked, stepping off the teleport pad.

"Lovers' quarrel between Zatanna and John Constantine. And Batman, of course, lurking on the sidelines knowing everything but telling nothing."

"Zatanna and who?"

Wonder Woman sighed. "It's a long story."

"Where is Batman?" Superman asked, searching the room for his secretive friend.

"He's with Zatanna somewhere on the Watchtower. Whatever's going on, it's something personal for Zatanna. I think Bruce is helping her with whatever it is." She paused, then queried, "Has he said anything to you?"

"Well, he had me searching for circuses yesterday, but wouldn't say why."

Wonder Woman frowned and bit her lip. "I wish he wouldn't do so much on his own. He seems to feel that everything has to be kept a secret."

Superman smiled wryly. "Diana, Bruce is like that. He operates on a need-to-know basis. If he feels we need to know, he'll tell us. Otherwise, we just have to accept that he keeps a lot of things to himself."

Wonder Woman sighed. Superman glanced at his fellow Founder.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. "Didn't you just get back from a mission?"

"I did," she admitted, "but I thought I could stay and help, since Bruce has his matter with Zatanna…"

"Diana." Superman's tone was gentle, but firm. "You just finished a three-day mission. You must be worn out. You don't have to stay up here. I'll keep an eye on Bruce," he added when she started to protest. "Go home and get some rest."

Wonder Woman looked resigned. "Fine." She trudged, slightly reluctantly, to the transport pad, and a minute later had teleported to her flat in Brooklyn, New York City.

At this point Superman felt someone else in the room with him; he turned to see Batman and Zatanna. He greeted Zatanna with a nod and a smile, and raised an eyebrow at Batman, clearly expecting a conversation.

"In a minute," Batman promised. He keyed in a new location code as Zatanna took her place on the teleporter. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Zatanna nodded. A moment later the blue light encased her and she disappeared. Batman turned to face Superman.

"Do I get an explanation?" the Kryptonian asked.

Batman sighed.

* * *

1. As detailed in_ Origins._

* * *

**_A/N: All right, people - you knew this was coming, I'm sure - please REVIEW! I'm pretty sure there are more of you reading than just those who are reviewing. Fanfiction's always more fun when there are more people joining the writer in the community formed by the story._**


	7. In Which Constantine Is Again A Pain

_**A/N: So, I'm back to that number again. Yay! Thank you **RollingUpHigh, doglover500, **and **leathman **for reviewing!**  
_

_**Oh, and before we move on, I have to credit **leathman **not just for suggesting that I put John Constantine in this story, but also for all the information he gave me on the con man. **RollingUpHigh**, it's because of **leathman **that you get John Constantin****e in a lot of this story.**  
_

_**Case in point: the current chapter.**_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: In Which John Constantine Is Again A Pain**

After Batman had succinctly explained the issue of Zatanna's father to Superman, the two League Founders sat quietly in the chairs near the console, absently watching the various newsfeeds from Earth on the numerous monitors. Presently, Superman broke the silence.

"So…" he began, "about the invitation…"

"You're bringing this up now?"

"You were the one who said we could talk about it during monitor duty," Superman reminded him.

Batman's eye twitched. "Fair enough," he admitted. "What about it?"

Superman looked slightly exasperated. "Are you going to come?"

"To your wedding? To be honest, Clark, I don't see the point."

"You don't see the point of my getting married?"

"No, I don't see the point in coming."

Superman blinked and tried not to feel hurt. This was Bruce, after all. Batman noticed.

"Don't get me wrong, Clark – I'm happy for you and Lois. I have no hard feelings – I was never really her type."

"This isn't about the fact that you dated her," Superman interjected.

"I know. I just thought you might like to know that."

Superman resisted the urge to throw up his hands in frustration. "Bruce, why won't you come?"

"Like I said, I don't see the point," Batman reiterated. "It's your wedding, and it should be your friends who attend."

"That's exactly what I'm –"

"No, Clark," Batman interrupted. "Pay attention. It's _your _wedding. Clark Kent's wedding, which Clark Kent's friends should attend. People like Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, and Chloe Sullivan are the ones who should be at your wedding."

"They will be. They've all RSVP-ed. You haven't," he added pointedly.

"Gotham billionaire Bruce Wayne does not have a place at a Daily Planet reporter's wedding," Batman said bluntly.

"Why not?" Superman demanded. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"No. Superman and Batman are friends. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are not."

"It's the same thing!"

"You know it isn't. How do you suppose it would look if Bruce Wayne showed up at your wedding? People would start asking questions."

"And why can't Bruce Wayne have friends among the common folk?" Superman questioned. "I've done interviews with you before. It wouldn't be that far-fetched for people to believe that we became friends."

Batman gave him a look. "Why is this such a big deal?"

Superman groaned in irritation. "Because, Bruce, like it or not, you're my best friend. And I want my best friend at my wedding."

A grunt was all the reply Batman gave. Superman felt like pushing the topic more, but he knew the expression on Bruce's face meant the conversation had come to a close. With a sigh, the Man of Steel resigned himself to a long, quiet night. It looked like Bruce wasn't coming to his wedding.

At the end of their shared shift Batman stood up; Superman would stay until Hawkgirl relieved him.

"When is it?"

Batman's question caught Superman completely off-guard. "When is what?"

"The wedding."

"October 6," Superman replied(1), starting to feel hopeful. "So you're coming?" he ventured to ask.

"I'll think about it," was all Batman said before teleporting home.

* * *

Batgirl and Robin were waiting in the Batcave when Batman materialized.

"I'll never get used to that," Robin commented, shaking his head.

Batman settled down in the chair in front of the Bat-computer and tugged off his cowl. "Report?"

"Quiet, for the most part," Batgirl responded. "We foiled a couple of robberies and found Killer Croc wandering the sewers."

"We had a conversation with him," Robin added with an irrepressible grin. "He didn't quite like what we were saying."

Batgirl rolled her eyes at her partner's gleefulness, while Batman asked, "He's back in Arkham?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. "It wasn't too much trouble to catch him off guard with a batarang."

"Good work," he commended them simply. "Barbara, go home."

"All right. See you." She saluted and got on her motorbike.

"So how was monitor duty?" Jason asked curiously as he peeled off his mask. He never tired of hearing about the League, or about the Teen Titans headed by his predecessor.

"Uneventful, for the most part." Bruce glanced at Jason. "Shouldn't you be getting to bed? School starts in three hours, doesn't it?"

Jason made a face. "Ugh. I miss the summer holidays," he grumbled as he reluctantly trudged off.

Bruce remained in the cave for about half an hour before deciding that he, too, should get some sleep before meeting Zatanna later in the morning.

* * *

Approximately five hours later, Batman and Zatanna stood in front of an apartment complex in a seedier neighborhood of Las Vegas. John Constantine probably had the finances and the flair to live in a more respectable area of town, but his chosen locale granted him greater proximity to the majority of clients whose cases he accepted as a detective, as well as providing him with a direct link to the type of gossip and rumor mill he exploited for his work. He had lived with Zatanna in her trailer for a while when they were seeing each other, but he'd moved out before the relationship ended.

Constantine's manner, when he saw them outside his apartment door, was brusque, to say the least.

"What the hell do you want?"

"We need to talk," Batman said.

"About what, exactly? I thought we did all the talking there was to do last night."

"Well, apparently not," Zatanna remarked. "Are you going to let us in?"

"Nope. Makes it easier to slam the door on you later." Ignoring Zatanna's roll of her eyes, Constantine looked at Batman. "You'd better make this quick."

"I'll cut straight to the point then. Yesterday on the Watchtower, you said you knew Zatara was alive. But you never said _how _you knew."

"So? What the hell does that matter?" Constantine demanded.

"Just answer the damn question, John," Zatanna said exasperatedly.

"Why?"

"Constantine. How do you know?" Batman's tone brooked no deception from the occult detective, world's greatest con-man though he might be. To his credit, Constantine bore up well under the Dark Knight's scrutiny, delaying answering until Batman's insistent frown had turned into a full Bat-glare.

"I saw him."

Zatanna, who had not taken her eyes off Constantine since he opened the door, inhaled sharply. "You _saw _my father? Where?"

A shutter seemed to close across Constantine's face. "You know something? I don't really remember."

Zatanna scowled. "Can the bullshit and tell me where you saw him."

"How can I tell you if I don't bloody remember?"

"You'd never forget something like that," she hissed. "So, for the last time, tell me where you saw my father."

"Why?" Constantine glared at her, obstinate and challenging. "So you can track him down and run smack into the danger I told you to keep out of? Now wouldn't that be just brilliantly gormless(2) of me?"

"I'm not asking you to do anything!" Zatanna exclaimed. "I just need information."

"Find it yourself. I'm not helping you get into whatever shitty mess you're heading for – you're managing it just perfectly on your own. Now, sod off!" And he slammed the door in their faces, just like he'd promised to do.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Zatanna fumed. "Now what?"

Batman looked thoughtful. "There is someone else we can ask."

Zatanna's head twirled to stare at him. "Who?"

* * *

"I hope you understand that scrying can be a rather inaccurate art," Doctor Fate warned as he arranged his tools in a semicircle on the floor. "Especially when one is scrying other magical beings. More often than not such individuals are able to sense that they are being observed, and shield themselves, or lash out magically at the scrier. Even if I manage to obtain a visual image, it is not always easy to determine an exact location, and scrying itself can be extremely misleading."

"I know," Zatanna admitted. "But of all the mages I know, you and Madame Xanadu possess unparalleled scrying abilities. And you're Earth's Sorcerer Supreme."

Doctor Fate chuckled. "I'm powerful, but I am far from the Sorcerer Supreme. That title belongs to another enchanter I once met."

"Oh?" Zatanna sounded interested. "Who is he? Maybe I know him."

"I doubt it. He lives in a different universe from ours." (3)

"Oh."

Doctor Fate placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will try my best to locate your father, Zatanna, but I cannot promise anything."

Zatanna nodded. "Understood."

The wizard sat cross-legged on the ground, directly in front of the oval mirror he used for scrying. To the right of the mirror was the 1994 photograph of Zatara and his daughter (acting as a visual anchor for the object of the scrying), along with a small bowl containing a lock of Zatanna's dark hair and exactly seven drops of her blood, freshly drawn (to strengthen the focus of the scrying through her genetic link with her father). On the left lay the thread-woven, six-pointed Christmas star made by Zatara and Zatanna (which served as a representation of Zatara's crafts that would mystically seek out any spells with the same 'touch'), as well as a single, enchanted gemstone to increase clarity.

Doctor Fate inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. He repeated this until he had thoroughly cleared his mind and the mirror had clouded into white mist. Then he reached deep within, feeling the collective magical energies of the objects before him merge with his perception.

Staring piercingly at the mirror, he intoned, "Show me Zatara."

The mist in the mirror receded, revealing a full-color scene of Giovanni Zatara in full magician regalia, performing astounding acts of magic on a circus stage. Had Zatanna been able to see her father, she would have marveled at how little he had aged in the nine years since he vanished – but as the connection of the scrying magic was only with Doctor Fate, only he could perceive what the mirror was showing him.

Fate increased his concentration, prompting the mirror to expand its view so he could determine where this was occurring. Once he had ascertained Zatara's location, he waved his hand over the mirror, closing his fingers into a fist as his hand made a quick counter-clockwise circle. The scrying connection broke, and the scene in the mirror vanished.

"Well?" Batman inquired.

"I found him," Doctor Fate confirmed, looking up at his League teammate, then turning his gaze to Zatanna. "He's in Star City."

* * *

1. The comic issue in which Clark Kent and Lois Lane were married was published on October 6, 1996.

2. "Gormless": British slang for "clueless".

3. I figure Doctor Fate has done enough dimensional exploring to come across a certain Marvel sorcerer.


	8. In Which Coincidence Is Not Coincidence

_**A/N: Hmm, maybe I should just steer clear of fixating on the number of reviewers. It's apparently not that stable after all. Still, thanks to **doglover500 **and **leathman **for reviewing chapter seven**.  
_

**_And no,_**_leath**, no DC-Marvel crossovers. Diamond Earth is big enough as it is without bringing in another universe which is just as big and just as complicated. You'll get allusions and hints, but no actual story. Feel free to write your own, though, and I'll come read it.**_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: In Which Coincidence Is Not Coincidence**

A sleep-dazed Dinah Lance Queen blearily reached for her vibrating cell phone on the bedside table next to her. She'd forgotten to take it off silent mode before she went to bed last night, but as she had been trained to be sharp and alert at all times, her phone's soft buzzing as it vibrated against the table was sufficient to wake her – as well as annoy her with its incessant droning.

Seeing the caller ID did not make her any less grumpy.

Still tangled in the sheets, she flipped her phone open and snapped, "What?"

_"Aren't you a ray of sunshine this morning," _Bruce Wayne's sardonic voice reverberated from the speaker.

"I swear, Bruce, I will hang up on you in five seconds, so help me God…"

_"I need a favor."_

His request was unusual enough to quell her irritation about being rudely awoken before her normal wake-up time, and she actually pushed herself up into a half-sitting position against her pillows.

"What favor?"

When he told her, her annoyance returned in full force.

"You want me to what?" she said disbelievingly.

_"I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."_

"I know," she conceded, "but still…a _circus_, Bruce! And you don't even know _which _circus!"

_"That's why I need you to find out."_

Dinah exhaled heavily before launching into a tirade about how she was the absolute wrong person to ask for this favor. "Bruce, I'm on leave from the League. I'm six months pregnant, irritable, just woke up, _not _in the mood to go traipsing about the entire city looking for a circus I don't even know the name of…"

_"I would check it out myself, Dinah, but something's come up in Gotham. I won't be able to get away until tonight. And it's important that we find this circus as soon as possible."_

Dinah took that to mean 'please' – she figured it was as close as she was going to get from Batman. With a resigned sigh, she asked, "What am I looking for?"

* * *

Monitor duty on the Watchtower that afternoon had been assigned to Flash and Green Lantern, both of whom were thrilled to have a double shift together. The two best friends rarely got to associate outside the League, so to be together on League duty without having an imminent mission they needed to fulfill was always a treat.

Normally Hal could count on the speedster to regale him with hilarious anecdotes of his life in Central City, both as the Flash and as Wally West – Hal thought that the Central-Keystone area must be the nicest, brightest place in the continental United States, given the way Wally was always gushing about it. However, today, the young redhead was surprisingly subdued.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Hal inquired in concern after his third attempt to get Wally talking failed – that was usually cause for concern, since Wally normally wouldn't shut up.

"Nope." Flash forced a grin. "I'm okay."

Hal rolled his eyes. Flash had an irritating habit of faking that everything was sunny even when it wasn't. It was like he felt it was shameful to be anything but cheerful.

"Wally," Hal said firmly, "You know that doesn't work on me. Now come on. What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing," he insisted.

"Wally."

Flash sighed and shifted in his seat. "It's just…today…"

"What about today?" Hal queried.

Wally whispered, "It's the 19th."

"So?" Flash stared at him, but it took a while for Hal to put two and two together. "Oh," he said in understanding.

Suddenly his friend's morose demeanor made sense. Today was the five-month anniversary of Barry Allen's death. After the first week of grieving, Wally had gone back to laughing and joking as normal (Hal personally thought the pretty Korean girl Wally had met in the graveyard had helped with that), but he still could not think of his dearly departed uncle without sorrow. Every month so far, on the 19th – the date of both Barry's birth and death – Wally would mope, unable to disentangle the date from the memory of his uncle. The fact that Wally's own birthday also fell on the 19th (of January) only served to add an ironic dimension to the date. (1)

Hal didn't offer insipid platitudes. He simply braced his hand on Flash's shoulder, communicating silently his companionship.

"Give it time," he said. "Eventually you'll be able to think of him without grief."

"I sure hope so." Flash appeared to give himself a shake, and a moment later he was slightly perkier, if not entirely cheerful. "Anyway, I heard there was an explosive argument on the Watchtower a couple days ago?"

Hal chortled, recognizing Flash's attempt to change the subject for what it was. "Who told you that?"

"Hawkgirl." Flash grinned.

"I should've known," Hal muttered. "Yeah, Zatanna was up here on Wednesday – she's working a case to find her father, and Batman's helping her. Apparently the two of them go way back."

"Who was the guy she was arguing with?" Flash asked. "Her ex, right?"

"John Constantine," Hal confirmed. "They had a lovers' quarrel in the middle of the bridge before Constantine stormed off."

"I see," said Flash. "So how's the search coming along? Any news from Bats?"

"You know Batman. He keeps things close to his chest. But last I heard, Zatanna's father is performing with a circus as one Mr. Z. They're still trying to track down which circus."

"Wait a minute." Flash had jolted upright in his seat. "Mr. Z, Mr. Z…"

"What, do you know him?" Hal asked incredulously.

"You bet." Flash snapped his fingers. "That circus was in Keystone a few months back. I took Linda to watch them perform – Mr. Z was amazing. Though, in retrospect, I'm guessing he used real magic."

Hal gaped at him. Fate, it seemed, was just full of coincidences like this one. "Which circus was that? Do you remember the name?"

"Yeah, sure – it was…it was…um…"

"Wally," Hal groaned.

"It was three months ago," Flash said defensively. "Give me a minute and let me think – it'll come to me."

* * *

Batman's comlink (a near-perpetual feature for any Leaguer now) buzzed gently in his ear. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne was currently attending a gala (an event he'd tried unsuccessfully to get out of) and was at the moment involved in a conversation with one Ms. Vicki Vale that he couldn't easily escape. Silently, he cursed himself for allowing himself to be drawn into a conversation with the reporter – Vicki Vale was a relentless journalist of the reporting caliber of Lois Lane, and she, like the illustrious Ms. Lane, did not give up her interviews easily. To make matters even more complicated, Vicki was somewhat more astute than Lois about her city's resident defender, in that she had begun to suspect that Bruce Wayne was not who he said he was – whereas it had taken Lois almost five years to realize that Superman had been hiding under her nose the whole time (how Clark had managed to fool his wife-to-be's hawk-like observation skills in such a fashion with only a pair of glasses was a mystery beyond even Batman's detective skills).

"You've been rather absent from Gotham for the past week," Vicki was saying. She was holding a glass of wine and did not have any notepad or recording devices on her – technically speaking, this was meant to be a casual conversation rather than an interview – but Bruce was sure she would be committing every word he said to her elephant's memory, and some of it was bound to come out in her future articles. Reporters, after all, never stopped working – they were always on the lookout for the next big scoop to land them the front page.

"I've had some business matters to settle out of town," Bruce responded smoothly. "I only just returned to Gotham last night."

"Oh?" questioned Vicki Vale. "I trust the matters were settled to your satisfaction?"

"They were, thank you." Inside his ear, his League comlink buzzed insistently. Bruce wondered how he could extricate himself from Vicki's claws, but before he could open his mouth to fabricate an excuse, Vicki had channeled the conversation down a different path.

"Funny, isn't it," she commented, glancing at him sideways, "how your outstation business matters coincided with the week during which the Batman was seen in several different cities."

Bruce kept his face passive. "Life is full of coincidence," he quipped sagely. "But why would you think that odd? Batman no doubt has League responsibilities that require him to be in other places besides Gotham." He smiled sardonically. "After all, the days when he could devote his full attention to Gotham are gone, what with the League taking up so much of his time."

"And how would you know?"

"It's an obvious enough explanation. Even a child could reach that conclusion." His comlink had stopped buzzing, and he itched to know who had called and why. "If you'll excuse me, Ms. Vale, I promised Alfred that I would mingle with other guests, instead of lavishing all my time on a stunning woman such as yourself."

Vicki's answering smile was a mixture of pleasure at the blatant compliment and incisive insight that she would get no further with her questioning today. "Of course, Mr. Wayne," she conceded graciously. "I've taken up too much of your time. By all means, go ahead and…mingle."

Bruce could not fail to notice the underlying suspicion as she lingered over the last word, but he didn't call her out on it. He graced her with one last charming smile before disappearing into the throng of people.

Exhibiting great self-control, Bruce did not redial the frequency until he had reached the relative safety of the bathroom. "Batman here."

_"About damn time," _Dinah's disgruntled voice snapped. _"If you want me to run errands for you while I'm pregnant, at least have the courtesy to answer when I call to tell you what I've found."_

"I had some trouble dropping Bruce Wayne." Good Lord, but the pregnancy was making her bad-tempered. "What did you find?"

_"Nothing from what you gave me," _she said – not entirely waspishly, merely stating a fact. _"For your information, circus folk don't take kindly to being interviewed. But Hal called and gave me the name of the circus."_

"Hal?" Bruce was surprised. "How would he know?"

_"Apparently this circus was in Keystone some months back – Wally attended it and remembered seeing your guy there. Mr. Z, right?"_

"Yes," Bruce affirmed. "So you found it?"

_"Cirque de Léger. They're performing at the Gemini Theater. If you want to catch Mr. Z, you'll probably want to hurry."_

"Why?"

_"They're disbanding. Tonight's their last show."_

* * *

1. Another throwback to _Legacy_.


	9. In Which Cirque Leger Has Its Last Show

_**A/N: Thanks to** leathman **and **jwill21 **for reviewing. **_

_**A shorter chapter today, but it marks the (almost) halfway point of the story. Besides, there's another one coming tomorrow.**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: In Which Cirque de Léger Has Its Last Show**

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" The powerful voice of the ringmaster of Cirque de Léger boomed through the theater. "And welcome to the final performance of the Circus of Lights! Our traveling troupe has been performing together for over seven years, and it's been a wonderful time for all of us – but, as they say, everything has its end. Tonight is ours. But before that, we have some excellent acts lined up for your enjoyment, one final time. Please welcome the first act – Jonko the Ridiculous!"

The audience cheered loudly as the clown stumbled onto the stage, where he proceeded to undertake the most absurd of actions, including delivering hilarious jokes with indifferent flair, tripping spectacularly over absolutely nothing, and somehow managing to tie his legs in a knot.

As the audience roared with laughter at Jonko's antics, Batman and Zatanna remained in the shadows, watching from the very back of the theater. The mass of people blocked their view of the stage, but they could still clearly hear everything that was going on.

"According to the program, Mr. Z is the last act," Batman said, consulting the colorful piece of paper in his hand. "It will be some time before he comes onstage."

Zatanna snorted nervously. "Well, I've waited nine years. I can wait a couple of hours more." She looked almost ill with anxiety. Batman eyed her with concern.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I mean…" She swallowed. "I almost can't believe I'm finally going to see him again. It's been so long, you know? And I was just a kid when he left – what if he doesn't like what I've done with my life?"

"Zee," Batman said gently, "you don't have anything to worry about. He'll be proud of you."

"You really think so?"

Batman smirked. "I do."

To Zatanna's chagrin, tonight's show was extra-long in anticipation of the circus' disbanding. The next two hours passed interminably, with much agitation on the young magician's part. She chewed her fingernails when Kingsley the knife thrower appeared with his beautiful assistant. She tapped her feet incessantly while enduring the Great Mandini's escapology acts. She bit her lip as she waited for the trapeze artists to finish their aerial routine.

Batman, by contrast, remained as stoic as ever, occasionally reaching out to touch Zatanna's arm with his calm, sure hand.

At last, the ringmaster returned, swishing his long red cape about him. "And now we come to the final act of tonight, as well as the closing finale of Cirque de Léger. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great honor to present our last ever act, the Amazing Mr. Z!"

The audience applauded wildly as the much awaited illusionist took his place on the stage. Meanwhile, Zatanna's stomach clenched with unbearable expectation. As her father's unmistakable baritone began explaining his first trick, she turned to Batman, the excitement on her face plain.

"I need to see him."

Batman frowned slightly. "We agreed to wait until after the performance to meet him. We'd disrupt the program if we meet him now."

"I won't talk to him," Zatanna promised. "I won't let him see me. I just need to see him."

Batman held her gaze for several moments before nodding. "You'd better change into something less conspicuous."

Zatanna muttered two words under her breath and snapped her fingers. "Done." She was now wearing jeans and a blouse.

"Go ahead, then," said Batman. "I'll make my way backstage to stop him when he exits after his act."

Zatanna nodded and took off through the crowd of people. Batman moved equally quickly to slip out the door, heading for the backstage entrance.

* * *

Mr. Z cast his illusory magic with masterful skill and stylish flamboyance. As he prepared his third trick, the presence of a familiar magical aura tingled at the back of his mind. He shot up once in alarm before immediately lowering his head again.

He should have expected it, really. His girl was too much like him to simply give up. Zatara had no doubt that his daughter had devoted herself to finding him. He thought he'd done a good enough job of covering his trail, but _Homo magi _– especially one as talented and determined as Zatanna – were not easily fooled.

Though he longed to see his beloved daughter again and apologize for abandoning her when she was little more than a girl – seventeen was, after all, far too young for a woman to be on her own – he was not ready to meet her again.

* * *

"Excuse me, please…let me through…excuse me…sorry, I need to get to the stage…"

Zatanna was finding it hard to make her way through the audience. The people did not take kindly to her attempting to push past them to get nearer, and refused to make way for her. True, she was not being the most courteous of individuals by rudely attempting to shove past patrons who had probably waited a long time to get front-row tickets for the circus – but she felt that the people could at least be a bit more understanding. How would they know that she didn't, as was the case, have an extremely viable reason for wanting to get nearer to the stage? To make matters worse, some in the audience were so irritated by what they viewed as her inconsideration that they actively made things difficult for her. One man even deliberately blocked her path by straddling the aisle between the rows of seats, much to her annoyance.

Thus, Zatanna had managed to move less than ten feet when she heard her father announce his next trick.

* * *

Mr. Z knew that what he was about to do would not please his ringmaster, who wanted a long, splendid show for their circus' final performance, but avoiding his daughter was far more important than satisfying a boss he would not even be working for after tonight. Zatanna took precedence over everything else, as always.

His mind made up, he turned his back to the audience, facing the dark red curtain separating the stage from the backstage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he intoned with his hands clasped behind his back, "for my next trick, I shall endeavor to make myself…disappear, without a trace."

* * *

At the mention of disappearing, panic crashed over Zatanna, introducing ice-cold fear into her veins. He couldn't disappear – she might never find him again.

She pressed forwards determinedly, roughly shoving stubborn patrons away. "Move!" she ordered harshly.

Far too slowly, she inched towards the stage. A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd, and with a sinking feeling, she realized she was too late. She forced her way past the front rows of people now too shocked to protest her rudeness, and finally laid eyes on the stage.

Her heart dropped like a stone. The stage was empty; Mr. Z was gone.

* * *

_**A/N: And Zatara disappears again. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**_


	10. In Which Mr Z Is Finally Found

_**A/N: Update is a little late today, sorry - I got caught up in studies. Exams coming, you know!**_

_**Thanks to **doglover500 **and **leathman **for your reviews!**  
_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: In Which Mr. Z Is Finally Found**

Batman heard, rather than saw, Mr. Z's disappearing act. The shocked gasps and the astonished exclamations told him that the magician had just done something extremely extraordinary, undoubtedly with his actual magic. Even if he hadn't heard Mr. Z announce what he was going to do, the muted murmurs of "He's gone!" that soon became loud enough for him to hear would have been enough for him to realize what happened.

_"Bruce!" _Zatanna's distraught voice echoed through the comlink he'd given her. _"My father's gone! He vanished!"_

"Calm down, Zatanna," Batman instructed, as he saw the ringmaster frown and venture back out onto the stage. "Did you manage to see him?"

_"No! I was on my way, but then I heard him say he was going to disappear…I tried to get to the stage, but he was gone by the time I got here."_

Batman watched as the ringmaster addressed the crowd, who had begun to mutter discontentedly when Mr. Z failed to reappear.

"My humblest apologies, good citizens," the ringmaster said, bowing deeply. "But by unfortunate circumstance, Mr. Z has been taken ill very suddenly, and is unable to continue his performance. We are greatly saddened that our closing show has to come to an end in such a disappointing manner, but we hope you enjoyed the rest of the performances."

By now the audience had quieted and were murmuring, some in annoyance, some sympathetically for the 'ill' Mr. Z. Batman, however, could tell that the ringmaster was just as clueless about his magician's disappearance as the audience, and was only making up this excuse so that his circus' reputation would remain untarnished.

_"Bruce, what are we going to do?" _Zatanna sounded on the verge of tears. _"I just found my father, and now I've lost him again."_

"Maybe not," Batman disagreed. "Zatanna, pull yourself together. We may still be able to find him."

_"How?"_

"Meet me on the street outside."

* * *

When Zatanna, dressed back in her magician's costume, arrived outside, she saw Batman already standing there with J'onn and Doctor Fate.

"You called in reinforcements?" she guessed.

"Yes," Batman replied. "Since your father was here in person not long ago, J'onn's telepathy should be able to track his psychic trail."

"But my father teleported away with magic," Zatanna pointed out.

"That's why I'm here," Doctor Fate responded. "I am familiar with Zatara's magic, and I should be able to detect his aura in order to determine where he teleported to. I don't think he will have gone far."

"Let's get started," said Batman. "The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get to the bottom of this."

Doctor Fate waved his hand, creating a purple ankh in the air. He stared into it for several moments, then waved his hand again – the magic shimmered and disappeared.

"As I suspected," the sorcerer said. "He has not gone far."

"You know where he teleported to?" Zatanna asked hopefully.

"I do." Fate created another ankh, this time large enough to be a portal. "Come, I will take you."

* * *

Doctor Fate's portal led out to an old, closed down amusement park not far from the Gemini Theater. Zatanna scanned her surroundings, puzzled.

"Why would my father teleport here?"

"It was probably the closest place without people," Batman reasoned. "J'onn, can you pick up his trail?"

"Give me a moment." J'onn's eyes glowed as he synched his mind with that of Doctor Fate's so he could get a psychic imprint from Fate's recognition of Zatara's aura. After a few moments he withdrew from the wizard's mind, and the glow of his eyes faded.

"He is here," the Martian informed them. "He has not left."

"Where?" Zatanna demanded urgently, looking all around with sharper purpose this time.

"Follow me." J'onn rose from the ground and glided through the amusement park, tracking a mind only he could sense.

The Martian Manhunter had earned his moniker because of his unerring ability to find any individual by following their psychic trail, and this served them well now. J'onn led them through the various closed roller coasters and themed entertainment houses with purposeful direction; he knew exactly where he was going and he could feel Zatara's mind getting closer.

And then, all of a sudden, the psychic trail began to fade.

"What's happening?" Batman questioned, noting the way J'onn's eyes narrowed.

"He knows I'm tracking him. He's pulling away. He doesn't want us to find him."

"Then we have to hurry!" Zatanna exclaimed.

"You and Fate go on ahead as fast as you can," Batman directed. "Zee and I will be right behind you. We can't let Zatara get away again."

J'onn nodded and accelerated his flight, Fate trailing closely behind. On the ground, Batman pulled Zatanna along.

The race was on; they absolutely had to reach Zatara before he evaded J'onn. Otherwise, Batman knew, they'd never find him again.

* * *

J'onn turned the corner between the Ferris wheel and the House of Mirrors, and there, up ahead of him, he saw Giovanni Zatara running away from him.

"Wait!" J'onn called, increasing his speed to reach the magician; Zatara either did not hear him, or chose to ignore him – J'onn, linked as he was to the other man's psychic trail, knew it was the latter. In the back of his mind, he also sensed that Zatanna had heard him call out, and was sprinting forward at breakneck pace to catch her father.

"Giovanni!" Doctor Fate added. "Stop! We need to talk to you!"

If anything, Zatara ran even faster, a desperate quality to his loping strides visible even from this distance. The man's speed and stamina was remarkable, but even a _Homo magi _could not hope to outrun a Green Martian's flight without magic. J'onn caught up with Zatara easily, and so did Doctor Fate.

"Giovanni, wait." Fate grabbed hold of Zatara's sleeve and restrained his run as J'onn landed on the ground. They were just in front of the Haunted House, and by now they could hear Batman's and Zatanna's running footsteps approaching from not far away.

"No, please!" Zatara sounded panicked and overwhelmingly desperate. Doctor Fate didn't understand it at all.

"Giovanni, what is going on?" he demanded.

The footsteps of their colleagues drew nearer, and it was now possible to distinguish between the light, clicking sound of Zatanna's heeled boots and Batman's heavier tread. Zatara grew even more agitated and he cried out desperately, "You don't understand! She can't see me – Zatanna cannot be allowed to see me! Please!"

Doctor Fate was astonished. "But why –" he began.

He was cut off by J'onn; the Martian's green arm shot out unexpectedly to yank Zatara into the Haunted House, out of sight of the approaching Batman and Zatanna.

"J'onn?" Fate questioned.

"Go outside and prevent Zatanna from entering to see her father," J'onn instructed. "I will ensure Zatara does not vanish, but I think we need to discover why he is so anxious to avoid his daughter before we force him to meet her. There is more to this than appearances suggest."

Fate nodded and headed out to meet Batman and Zatanna before the entrance of the Haunted House.

"Thank you," Zatara said gratefully. He was leaning against an old mannequin that had probably been used to scare unwitting teenagers in the Haunted House when the amusement park was open.

J'onn inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I need to know your reason. Doctor Fate will delay Zatanna, but sooner rather than later she will insist to see you. Your daughter is as stubborn as she is talented."

Zatara sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair. "I know. And I know she will eventually force her way in here if she is prevented from seeing me – I cannot risk that. May I teleport us both to someplace safer? I will be far more at ease explaining everything if I do not have to fear that Zatanna will walk in on us."

Curiouser and curiouser. The lengths to which Zatara was willing to go in order to avoid meeting his daughter were truly alien to J'onn. But he sensed that Zatara had a very good reason for doing so, and so he acquiesced to the sorcerer's request.

A moment later, Zatara teleported them both away from the Haunted House.

* * *

_**A/N: Till tomorrow!**_


	11. In Which Zatara Explains

_**A/N: Blinks. Rubs eyes. Stares. **_

_**Shakes head. Stares again. **_

_**FIVE reviews? Pinch me, I must be dreaming. Actually, don't. This is a nice dream.**_

_**Okay, so after that (admittedly slightly pathetic) celebration that I have more than three for the first time in quite a while (regardless of the fact that they weren't all on the same chapter), thank you kindly to **doglover500, EvilPurpleCookiePenkeyMonguin, leathman, **and a guest (whose review I had to run through a translator but which I appreciate anyway!), and enjoy this chapter!**  
_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: In Which Zatara Explains**

Batman and Zatanna caught up to Doctor Fate several feet in front of the entrance to the Haunted House.

"Is he in there?" Zatanna asked breathlessly as she approached the enchanter.

"Yes," Fate admitted. "But you can't go in."

"What? Why not?" Zatanna demanded.

"Fate, what's going on?" Batman questioned.

Doctor Fate paused for a moment, wondering how he ought to phrase this. "I'm not sure myself," he confessed. "But Zatara is desperate that Zatanna not see him."

Zatanna inhaled sharply, stung. "Why?"

"J'onn is talking with him right now. I believe we will find out shortly."

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad," said Zatanna. She made to head for the Haunted House, but Fate extended his arm to stop her. Zatanna frowned.

"Kent, let me through."

"We don't understand the situation, Zatanna," he cautioned. "I'm sure your father has a good reason for not wanting to see you just yet."

"Screw that!" she exclaimed. "I need to see him!" She shrugged off his arm.

"Zatanna!"

Ignoring Fate's urgent cry, she pushed past him and ran the short distance into the Haunted House.

For the second time that day, she arrived to find no trace of her father.

* * *

J'onn would have been disoriented by the magical teleportation if he had not grown accustomed to the action of the Watchtower's transporter beam. Consequently, Zatara's spell left him slightly uncomfortable, but the feeling quickly passed as J'onn took in his surroundings.

Zatara had teleported them to what appeared to be his bedroom. The four-poster bed in one corner, however, was easy to overlook amidst all the magical paraphernalia that dominated the rest of the room. Tucked into the opposite corner from the bed sat an iron-cast cauldron and a table upon which a collection of assorted plants, decanters, and containers was gathered. The bookshelf against the far wall was three-quarters full with ancient tomes bearing titles in Latin, Gaelic, Old English, and other languages which J'onn suspected were not of the human realm. A particularly thick volume rested open on the wooden desk next to the shelf, its pages filled with angular script; a paper scrawled with what seemed to be a list of ingredients was clipped to the right-hand-side page. Dying embers glowed in the fireplace, over which a mantelpiece showcased a bowl of colored stones, worn smooth, a dream catcher mounted on a stand, and a small wooden clock with a face drawn with runes instead of numbers. Directly in front of the fireplace a space was cleared on the floor for a pentagram drawn in gold and black ink. Warm golden light from wall-mounted sconces cast the entire room in a dim light, giving it an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue.

J'onn did not believe for one instant that this was the trailer Zatara used as his residence while traveling with Cirque de Léger.

"Where are we?" he questioned.

"We're in Vermont," answered Zatara.

The Martian raised an eyebrow. "And this place is?"

"The House of Mystery. It is a mystical building with some sentience, although I've never figured out to what extent."

"I see," said J'onn. "So it is yours?"

"No. I merely stay here. The owner was kind enough to give me a room."

J'onn nodded politely, saying nothing. His eyes followed Zatara's every move. Zatara exhaled.

"I needed a place to stay," the magician said quietly. "Somewhere relatively safe, somewhere Zatanna would be unlikely to stumble across me. I left all those years ago because I needed to protect her – she could not see me, nor I her."

"Why?" asked J'onn.

"If Zatanna sets eyes on me," said Zatara, "she will die."

* * *

All was quiet aboard the Watchtower. Hawkgirl, on monitor duty in the bridge, had not questioned Batman when he materialized on the teleport pad with Zatanna and Doctor Fate. Fate had since returned to Salem, citing a need to attend to some matter; Batman and Zatanna had disappeared to the cafeteria.

Zatanna had lapsed into a sullen silence after her initial aggrieved outburst at the Haunted House when she discovered that Zatara had again vanished into thin air. She had mutely consented to wait on the Watchtower until J'onn returned with news about Zatara, but she hadn't said a word since. Batman, standing in a corner, kept a sharp eye on her, both out of concern and pragmatism.

"You don't have to watch me like I'm going to break," Zatanna said wryly.

Batman gave up pretending to be subtle and came over to her. "I'm worried about you," he said simply.

"Don't be. I just want answers."

"And you'll get them," he promised. "As soon as J'onn returns." He fixed her with a stare. "But you can't tell me you're unaffected by your father not wanting to see you."

She shrugged. "I'm hoping he has a good explanation for it."

"I'm sure he does."

_"Batman," _Hawkgirl's voice said over the PA system. _"J'onn's back."_

Batman exchanged a glance with Zatanna before they both took off for the bridge.

"Well?" Zatanna demanded breathlessly of J'onn, who was just stepping off the transporter.

J'onn's telepathy picked up on the actual, unspoken question on her mind. "It's not what you think," he assured her. "Your father loves you, Zatanna."

Zatanna halted, her mouth forming a small 'O', as a look of pure relief and gratitude dawned on her face. She blinked back the moisture in her eyes that threatened to spill, ignoring Batman's I-told-you-so expression.

"Thank you," she managed. J'onn smiled slightly as he nodded.

"As a matter of fact," he continued, "it is because Zatara loves you that he has distanced himself from you. He left to protect you."

Zatanna frowned. "I don't understand."

"Immediately before he disappeared in 1994, your father encountered a sorceress called Allura," J'onn explained. "Allura cast a curse on him; if you or Zatara ever laid eyes on each other, you would both die."

Zatanna gasped as everything fell into place. "That's why he's been avoiding me," she realized.

"And that must be the danger Constantine spoke of when he was warning you off the search," Batman added.

"But…what do we do now?" Zatanna asked. "I didn't go through all this to find my father just to never be able to meet him again. Isn't there any way to break the curse?"

"There are only two ways," J'onn replied. "One is to find Allura herself and convince her to lift the spell."

"That'll be almost impossible," Zatanna sighed. "Most sorcerers I know are notoriously stubborn."

"Yourself included?" There was a subtle point in Batman's tone. Zatanna equally as pointedly ignored him. "What's the second way?" he questioned.

"Zatara's research was able to uncover that a potion brewed with specific ingredients will negate the effects of the curse, if it is drunk by all affected parties," J'onn informed them. "That is what he has been doing for the past several years – he has been attempting to locate the ingredients in order to brew the potion."

"How's he getting along?" Zatanna inquired.

"He has managed to collect the majority of the ingredients, but there are several he has been unable to acquire, even with the help of another magician named John Constantine."

Twin exclamations of shock came from Zatanna and Hawkgirl, while Batman's eyebrow rose high.

"_John?!_" Zatanna cried in utter incredulity. "_John Constantine _is helping my father?"

J'onn looked puzzled. "Why is that surprising?"

"Are you kidding?" Hawkgirl said. "Did you _see _the argument they had here on – oh," she realized. "You weren't here."

"You know this Constantine character?"

"I didn't actually meet him, but according to GL and Wonder Woman he and Zatanna had it out right here on the bridge a couple of days ago. Something about Constantine insisting that Zatanna drop the search for her father and Zatanna basically telling him to piss the hell off."

"So now we know how Constantine knows what he knows," Batman surmised.

"I knew his divination excuse was crap," said Zatanna. "But I don't get it. If John knew about the curse, why couldn't he just tell me outright about it instead of being vague about everything?"

"He doesn't know," J'onn interjected. "Zatara didn't tell him about it – Constantine is helping him to obtain the ingredients, but he doesn't know what the potion is for."

"So then how did he know I'd be in danger?"

"I believe Zatara impressed that idea on him when he took up residence in the House of Mystery…"

Zatanna made an indignant, strangled-sounding noise. "The House of Mystery?" she exclaimed. "My father's been there all along?"

J'onn exchanged a glance with Batman, mystified by Zatanna's explosive reaction. "It would appear so," he confirmed cautiously.

Zatanna muttered furiously. "That arrogant, pigheaded, insufferable son of a…"

"Zee?" Batman prompted.

"I can't believe…the House of…John _owns _the…" Zatanna gave up trying to be coherent and launched into another string of unflattering words about her former lover (Batman had to admit he was impressed with her range of vocabulary – he hadn't known she could swear so proficiently) before she forced herself to calm down.

"I was under the impression that Cain the Immortal was the House's caretaker," said Batman, once he saw that Zatanna wasn't about to start cursing again. "How did Constantine become the owner?" For of course, being Batman, he hadn't taken long to piece two and two together from what Zatanna had let slip during her vehement tirade.

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "He won the keys."

Batman's eyebrow rose. "Won?"

"In a poker game," Zatanna clarified. "The House has been his since 1997. If my father's been living there, it means John has been his accomplice in hiding him from me." There was a note of hurt hidden beneath the anger in her voice; Batman sighed. It was clear there still were unresolved issues between Zatanna and John Constantine.

"Well," Zatanna continued, "now that I've found my father and I know why he can't see me, I have to help him get the remaining ingredients."

"Yes," Batman agreed, "but you can't do it alone."

"I can't ask you to help me with this, Bruce," said Zatanna. "You've taken enough time away from Gotham as it is."

"Batman doesn't have to be the only one who helps you," interjected J'onn. "I have already promised Zatara the League's aid."

Zatanna blinked, oddly touched. "I appreciate the gesture, J'onn, but if the ingredients my father needs are anything like what I suspect, only someone trained in the magical arts would even have a hope of acquiring them."

"We can work around that," Batman declared. "I've helped you this far, Zee, I can take a little more time to help you to the end."

Zatanna smiled at him warmly. "Thank you," she accepted. "I'm guessing you already have a plan? Because we'll still need trained sorcerers…"

"We have four magicians we can call on," Batman pointed out.

"Four?" Hawkgirl questioned. She knew they had Doctor Fate, but though the Salem wizard was powerful, he was not the equivalent of four sorcerers.

"Four," Batman affirmed. "Zee, Zatara, Doctor Fate, and Constantine."

Zatanna groaned. "Why does it always come back to John Constantine?" she asked of no one in particular.

* * *

_**A/N: This curse should be familiar to any comic buff - kudos to **leathman **for guessing it.**_


	12. In Which Zatanna And Constantine Talk

_**A/N: Our Guest has a name! Thank you,** Camila Wayne**, and **leathman**, for reviewing yesterday's chapter.**_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: In Which Zatanna And Constantine Talk**

Zatanna stole through the corridors of the apartment complex, retracing her steps of three days before to reach John Constantine's door. Batman and J'onn were coordinating to get the rest of the League on the Watchtower for a meeting about their mission to find the ingredients Zatara still needed, but Batman, for some reason beyond Zatanna's comprehension, had decided that Zatanna should visit Constantine alone.

Zatanna inhaled deeply before knocking on Constantine's door. Part of her hoped he wouldn't be home, hoped that perhaps he was out at a casino gambling or tracking down a lead in one of his cases, both of which he was wont to do at night – but no, there was light shining through the crack under the door, and Zatanna heard her former lover's sure footsteps approaching the door.

Constantine pulled open the door, saw Zatanna outside, scowled, and made to close the door again – but Zatanna merely folded her arms and lifted one single eyebrow, as if silently daring him to do it. Constantine sighed and relaxed his hold on the door. His grey-blue eyes searched the corridor beyond Zatanna; when he found no one else, he frowned.

"You're here alone?"

"Do you see anyone else?" Zatanna asked sarcastically.

Constantine swore under his breath. "You're here alone." He did not sound pleased. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this neighborhood is at night?"

Zatanna glared at him. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Constantine, seemingly reluctantly, opened the door wider. "I suppose I ought to let you in. Wouldn't want to invite trouble by making you stay outside."

"Heaven forbid," Zatanna murmured as she entered. Constantine closed and locked the door behind her.

Constantine's apartment was in a state of organized mess. The living room was practically nonexistent, cluttered as it was by piles of papers, poker chips, and various power tools. A desk was placed right next to the small TV, while a simple fridge-stove-and-two-counters kitchenette was squeezed into the small extension to the right of the door. A large cork board pinned full of flyers, newspaper clippings, photographs, handwritten notes, and other important documented clues of Constantine's current cases took up one whole wall adjacent to the desk. The strings trailing across the board were color coded, and Zatanna knew from previous conversations that red string identified connections between suspects and victims, while blue highlighted possible, but as yet unproven, links, and yellow indicated the background clues that could have something to do with the main investigation.

"What are you doing here, Zee?"

"This place hasn't changed much," Zatanna noted, ignoring Constantine's question. "But it's a far cry from the House of Mystery, isn't it?" Her accusing stare bore into him, and he knew she knew.

"What was I supposed to do?" Constantine questioned. "Tell you straight that Zatara was in my house and refuse to let you see him? I'm sure that would have gone down brilliantly with you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Zee, that you're too damn stubborn for your own good."

She didn't deny it, just sighed and leaned against the kitchenette counter. "How long?"

Constantine didn't need to ask to know she was asking how long Zatara had been staying in the House. "Since '98."

Zatanna made a choking noise. "You've known my father was alive since before we broke up?"

"I would've told you, Zee, but Zatara was insistent that you must not see him under any circumstances. At the time, you'd just got back from Gotham and you were absolutely gutted about all your leads going cold even with Batman's help. I wasn't about to open another can of worms. And on top of all that, Zatara said the best thing for you would be if you stopped trying to look for him – and I wasn't about to get you started again."

"Did you bother to ask why? Or couldn't you be 'fagged'?" Zatanna deliberately used the British slang term to be cutting.

"Bloody hell, Zee, of course I did!" Constantine said indignantly. "I knew you missed your father – I asked, but all he said was that you'd be in danger if you kept searching for him. He didn't tell me about the curse then."

Zatanna stiffened. "So you did know about it."

"I only found out a few hours ago – Zatara and I had a little chat after that Martian friend of yours popped up in the House."

Zatanna was shaking her head. "I don't understand why he had to keep everything so secret. Why couldn't he just tell you about the curse so you could tell me?"

"He was trying to spare you pain. He had no idea how to break it at the time, and he thought if you knew he was alive but there was no way you could see him, it would hurt you more than if you thought he was dead."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Nobody's perfect, Zee. He did what he thought was right."

"What about after? When you knew I'd started looking for him again – I'm sure he'd found out about the potion by then. Why didn't you talk to him?"

"For God's sake, Zee – I'm not blooming perfect, all right? I did what I thought I could – maybe it was impulsive, maybe I wasn't thinking straight – but I'm not a bloody saint, and you know it."

"Even so, when you met me on the Watchtower, why the hell couldn't you just tell me what my father said about not seeing him instead of going off on a vague cryptic rant about danger?" she challenged.

"Would you have taken my word for it?" Constantine suddenly, unexpectedly sounded weary.

"What?"

Constantine collapsed into his armchair, sighing. "I'm not a good man, Zee. And I know I've hurt you before. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted nothing more to do with me, let alone still trust me. If I told you the truth, how was I to know you'd actually believe me after everything I've done?" He raised his head to look at her. "I played it safe. I figured if I was cryptic and vague, Batman, at least, would be cautious and hold you back. If I'd told you outright that I invited your father to stay in the House of Mystery, you would've been in Vermont like a shot and you probably wouldn't've listened to anything else I said."

"You know I can't navigate the House of Mystery without you," said Zatanna, moving to sit on the couch. "It wouldn't have made a difference."

"Maybe, maybe not," Constantine conceded. "I wasn't willing to take the risk. I may not have known what was so dangerous, but I knew Zatara wasn't larking around. And I'd do it again if I had to, especially now that I know what I know."

His words appeared to silence Zatanna. She opened her mouth to speak, but seemed not to be able to find words, so she said nothing for several minutes.

Surprisingly, it was Constantine who broke the silence. He appeared to have been thinking deeply during the pause in the conversation, because a momentary look of regret crossed his face and he said, "I _am_ sorry."

"You're actually apologizing?" Zatanna exhaled wryly. "I get why you did it – I know I can be incredibly stubborn when it comes to my father. I don't like that you led me on and lied to me, but I get it."

Constantine, however, shook his head. "No, not that – although I guess you deserve an apology for that too – but I was apologizing for something else."

Zatanna looked at him curiously. "And that would be?"

Instead of giving her a straight answer, Constantine quoted softly, "'I'm never sorry for anything'."

It took Zatanna just a moment to recall that those were her own words, shouted at Constantine the day of the fight that ended their relationship.

_"You're never sorry for anything, and this is no different. And I'm done with it. I'm done with us."_

She had walked out his door after that without giving him a chance to respond. That had been the last time they saw each other until Constantine appeared on the Watchtower.

Zatanna blinked at him, stunned. Constantine went on, "I was, you know. Not at first, but after I thought about what you said that day, I realized I'd been made a mistake. You were right – I hadn't thought about how my deal with the demon would affect you. I didn't think it would. But you were probably right to get out when you did."

"I can't believe I'm actually hearing this."

"But it's true, Zee." Constantine sighed. "I live a remarkably dangerous life, my morals are skewed at best, and I don't think about how my actions will affect those around me. I could have got you in some serious shite if you'd stayed with me." He looked her square in the eyes, so frankly that she felt uncomfortable. "But that doesn't change the fact that I fell for you, and I haven't gotten up yet."

Zatanna stared at him, mouth agape, thoroughly shocked that John Constantine had just admitted he was still in love with her.

* * *

_**A/N: Yes, I had to. It just makes things so deliciously dramatic.**_


	13. In Which A Quest Is Undertaken

_**A/N: Thanks to the ever-faithful** leathman **for his review.**_

_**Quite a short chapter today, but it's just filler, really. **_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: In Which A Quest Is Undertaken**

Zatanna returned to the Watchtower with Constantine to find all the members of the Justice League – with the exception of the pregnant Black Canary – already assembled in the conference room. Batman gestured for the two of them to sit down; Zatanna deliberately waited for Constantine to sit first so she could choose a seat as far away from him as possible – consequently, she ended up sitting next to Green Lantern.

"Zatara has briefed us about his current progress with the potion," began Batman, who was obviously the head of this particular meeting. "He has managed to collect most of the ingredients, but there are four key items he has not been able to obtain."

"And what are those four?" Doctor Fate queried.

"Chimera blood, chip of a Heartstone, petal of a young Black Mercy, scales of a Hippocamp," Constantine rattled off.

Green Lantern gave a low whistle. "It must be an extremely powerful curse, for the antidote potion to require ingredients like those."

"It is," Constantine agreed. "Allura must really have been pissed."

"Where are we even going to _get _that stuff?" Flash asked. "The chimera blood is the only thing that sounds even remotely familiar to me."

"Hippocamps are sea creatures," Wonder Woman put in. "Half horse, half fish. Their numbers have decreased greatly since the fall of the Roman Empire – I have not seen one since the Dark Ages."

"A Heartstone is a stone of immeasurable power," Green Lantern added. "Four Heartstones were formed by the energy from the manifestation of existence at the beginning of the universe, and each Heartstone has the power to reshape reality itself."

"How do you know that?" Batman questioned suspiciously.

"I know because it's common lore among the Green Lantern Corps, and there's a rumor on Oa that one of the Guardians owns a Heartstone."

"What about the Black Mercy?" Superman asked. "What is it?"

A quick glance around the table showed him that no one seemed to know what it was. Then Constantine spoke up.

"It's the most obscure ingredient on the list," the Liverpool detective informed them. "I only learned about it a few days ago – took me months just to find someone who recognized the bloody name. From what I gather, the Black Mercy is a plant with tentacles that latches on to people and creates a dream world for them in their head. Usually it's a scenario of the victim's greatest desires, made real in their minds."

"None of it is actually real, though, is it?" Hawkgirl queried.

"Not a thing. The Black Mercy loses its grip on its victim once the victim starts to realize that what they're seeing isn't real – but that can be extremely difficult to admit, and that's why the Black Mercy is so dangerous."

"Because the victims would prefer to stay in their dream world." J'onn nodded.

"Exactly. From the stories I've heard, most would rather cut off their arm than recognize that their dreams aren't real. But sooner or later, it all ends anyway – if the Black Mercy remains attached for too long, it literally sucks the life out of its victim."

Wonder Woman shuddered. "Why is something like that an ingredient in this potion?"

"Think about it," Constantine said dryly. "Zatara's greatest desire is to be reunited with Zee. Zee's is to be reunited with Zatara. A young Black Mercy plant would not have the ability to inflict a dream world state, but it's the perfect ingredient for a potion like this."

"So what's the plan?" Flash inquired, looking to Batman.

"Four teams," the Dark Knight replied. "One to retrieve each ingredient. Each team needs to have one sorcerer."

"I'll see if I can find out which Guardian has the Heartstone," Green Lantern volunteered. "Maybe I can convince them to let us chip a tiny piece off it."

"I thought you said that was just a rumor," said Hawkgirl.

Lantern shrugged. "Every rumor has a grain of truth."

"I will go with you," said Doctor Fate. "Chipping a Heartstone is no mean feat, and the Guardians may be more amenable to it if they know I have the expertise necessary."

"I'm the only one here who knows how to get information about the Black Mercy," interjected Constantine. "I'm on the team that goes after that."

"J'onn and Hawkgirl will help you with that," Batman instructed. The two named Leaguers nodded in affirmation; Constantine scrutinized them critically, but said nothing. "Wonder Woman, you and Zatanna search for a Hippocamp."

Flash glanced at Superman. "I guess that leaves Supes and me with Zatara and the chimera."

"What about you?" Wonder Woman asked Batman.

"I am staying on the Watchtower to coordinate our efforts and to carry out emergency teleport if it is necessary."

"Okay." Flash nodded. "When do we start?"

"Right now."

* * *

_**A/N: Like I said, it's short, but the next four are longer. Oh, and the next four are also going to feature several guest appearances...**_


	14. In Which Zatanna and WW Visit The Ocean

_**A/N: Thanks to** leathman **for reviewing. I think you'll get a kick out of today's guest star - I know you've been waiting for him.**_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: In Which Zatanna And Wonder Woman Visit The Ocean**

Wonder Woman and Zatanna stood on the beach, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Zatanna studied the blue-green waves, wondering how they would find a Hippocamp amid all that water.

"So what does a Hippocamp look like, exactly?"

"They are majestic creatures," Wonder Woman answered. "They have the front body of a horse, including the front legs and hooves and a flowing mane, and the back of their body forms a long, powerful tail, like a mermaid's. Some may even have wing-like fins on their back."

"How big are they?" Zatanna asked, trying to visualize a Hippocamp in her mind's eye.

"It depends on their age. The young ones are as small as a newborn pony sometimes, but I have seen adult Hippocamps that were the size of a large car."

"Okay," said Zatanna. "How will we find one?"

Wonder Woman looked thoughtful. "In the old days we Amazons were able to call a Hippocamp to us by singing a song. I'm not sure if that will still work, but I can try." She tossed her head back, thought for a moment, then began singing in a clear, bell-like voice. The song was in Ancient Greek, so Zatanna did not understand a word of it, but she was enthralled by it all the same.

Wonder Woman stopped singing after one or two minutes and gazed expectantly out at the ocean. Zatanna, too, waited hopefully for a regal Hippocamp to break through the surface of the water and meet them at the shore.

After some time with nothing happening, Zatanna turned to Wonder Woman and asked, "Now what?"

Wonder Woman shrugged, and was about to suggest that Zatanna try casting a spell that would at least tell them where in the ocean to look, when the water rippled. Both women focused their attention on the figure rising from the depths.

It was not a Hippocamp – not by far – though the man who broke through the waves instead certainly possessed a stately and regal bearing that would not have been out of place on a mythical sea-horse. His blond hair was slightly overlong, its wet locks brushing his face and the top of his neck. His strong, square jaw was covered with just enough stubble to give him an authoritative, mature appearance, but was otherwise clean-shaven. The metallic orange, almost gold scales of his form-fitting shirt highlighted the well-defined muscles of his arms and torso; his dark green pants did the same for his powerful legs. There was some sort of insignia – what looked like an elaborate 'A' – carved out of the gold metal buckle of his belt, and in one green-gloved hand he held a shining trident.

The ocean-man focused his gaze on them, his dark, sea blue eyes (_How fitting, _Zatanna thought involuntarily) intense.

"Who are you?" he demanded imperiously.

Normally Zatanna would have replied civilly, but she was tense, on edge, and the strange man's highhanded tone just grated on her nerves right now. She opened her mouth to retort, but Wonder Woman silenced her with a swift warning glance, before stepping forward to address the ocean-man himself.

"I am Diana of Themyscira, Princess of the Amazons," she said, matching the ocean-man's regal manner with polite authority of her own. "This is my colleague, Zatanna Zatara."

The ocean-man observed them both for a few moments before his bearing relaxed – just slightly. "Greetings, Princess Diana. I am Orin."

Wonder Woman smiled, clearly recognizing the name even if Zatanna didn't. "I am honored to meet the famed King of Atlantis," she said, inclining her head slightly. "My mother speaks highly of you."

"She would." Orin made a noise that was somewhat amused, but good-naturedly so. "A friendship does not tend to last long when one speaks ill of the other."

Zatanna chose that moment to lightly tap Wonder Woman on the shoulder, reminding the Amazon princess that she still had no idea what was going on. "Princess, introductions?" she said pointedly.

"Oh, yes." Wonder Woman gestured at Orin. "This is Orin, ruler of Atlantis and protector of the seas."

"And its inhabitants," Orin added. "Why have you summoned a Hippocamp?"

"We need something," Wonder Woman replied. "I presume, since you answered my song instead, that you have the remaining few Hippocamps under your protection?"

"Not all, but most," Orin agreed. "They are close to extinction, and I would not have them hunted by surface dwellers for greed or sport. Thus, I would not let any of them answer your song, though many were rearing to. What could you possibly need from a Hippocamp, Diana?"

"Just a scale," said Wonder Woman. "One scale."

Orin fingered his trident. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's for me," Zatanna admitted softly. "My father and I have been placed under a curse, and a Hippocamp scale is one of the ingredients we need to make the potion to reverse the spell."

Orin frowned. "How severe is this curse?"

Wonder Woman started to explain, but it was Zatanna who answered. "If either my father or I ever see the other, we will both die."

Orin raised an eyebrow. "A malicious curse indeed."

"Yes," Wonder Woman agreed. "Which is why we need a Hippocamp scale. May we have one, please?"

"I am not allowing a Hippocamp to come to the surface where it might be seen by humans with less than noble intentions," Orin said at once. "That is absolutely out of the question. More human curiosity about the ocean depths is the last thing Atlantis needs. However," he added before either of the women could protest, "I will consent to allowing you to come to Atlantis to retrieve the scale from one of the Hippocamps residing there."

"That will be fine," Wonder Woman accepted graciously. "Thank you."

* * *

After Zatanna had cast an enchantment that would allow her and Wonder Woman to breathe underwater, Orin dove back beneath the waves, followed by the two women. He led them through the depths of the Atlantic, gliding smoothly and quickly through the water, though he was considerate enough to slow down his usual speed so the two land-dwellers could keep up.

Nevertheless, the pace Orin set was rapid enough that Wonder Woman and Zatanna had to concentrate to keep up with him, and therefore could not spare much attention to fully appreciate the beauty of the ocean scenery. They kept swimming, past colonies of green, red, and brown kelp, past colorful corals and reefs which housed numerous populations, past the occasional hunting shark and playful dolphin.

As it turned out, Atlantis was not all that far from the shore of New York; it took them only about an hour of swimming to reach the underwater city, which sprawled golden and gleaming over a large expanse of the ocean floor, protected from the water by an enormous dome of magically-reinforced glass. Some yards beyond the outermost edges of the dome, Atlantean guards were patrolling the water. Zatanna was not entirely surprised to see that some of the guards were mounted on disciplined Hippocamps.

Wonder Woman raised one eyebrow delicately at Orin. "Under your protection, indeed," she remarked.

"What else do you expect of my cavalry?" Orin rejoined. "Hippocamps are the underwater creatures most suited to such a purpose. Besides," he added, "they all but volunteered themselves."

Wonder Woman shook her head with a small smile.

Orin whistled, attracting the guards' attention. He singled out one mounted Atlantean and called to him. "Ronin!"

A dark-skinned Atlantean broke away from the rest of the guards, who continued their patrol after a quick salute to their king, and guided his Hippocamp over to where Orin floated with Zatanna and Wonder Woman.

"Yes, my Lord?"

Orin gestured at the two women. "These ladies have need of a Hippocamp scale in order to break a magic curse that has afflicted one of their acquaintances. Might we ask Aclepiades for one of his?" Aclepiades, Zatanna assumed, was the name of Ronin's mount.

Ronin nodded. "But of course. If I know Aclepiades, he will be more than willing."

Orin gently stroked the Hippocamp's snout, holding its keen eyes with his own. After a moment he smiled and inclined his head, and then he reached over and, using one tip of his trident, gently prized one glittering scale loose from Aclepiades' back. He then turned and presented it to Zatanna, who accepted it with some puzzlement.

"But…you didn't say anything?" she queried.

Orin continued stroking Aclepiades. "As King of Atlantis, I can telepathically communicate with all undersea creatures."

"Thank you," Wonder Woman said gratefully.

"Use it well," Orin said simply. "Now, if that is all, I will have Ronin and Aclepiades escort you back to the shore. I have matters to attend to in council."

"Of course," Wonder Woman acquiesced. "May the gods be with you. Perhaps we will meet again."

"Perhaps," Orin agreed.

* * *

The return journey to shore took much less time than the swim to Atlantis, because Aclepiades consented to carrying both women, along with his Atlantean rider, on his back. Thanks to the Hippocamp's strong forelegs and powerful tail propelling him through the water, Wonder Woman and Zatanna soon arrived at the shoreline of New York City. Ronin did not allow Aclepiades to break the surface of the sea out of concern that a surface-dweller might sight him, so the two women bade goodbye to their escort beneath the waves before swimming towards the shore alone.

Once they were standing, wet, on the beach, Zatanna examined the beautiful Hippocamp scale – it gleamed and shimmered in the midday sun.

"One down, three to go."

* * *

_**A/N: Tomorrow is guest star number 2...and maybe something else.**_


	15. In Which Green Lantern Is Worried

_**A/N: I'm posting this one up early because I won't be able to later in the day. Thanks to **Skillgannon **for reviewing - I most definitely do intend to continue this story...might I ask if you intend to continue reviewing? ;) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: In Which Green Lantern Is Worried**

Green Lantern and Doctor Fate flew side by side through the emptiness of space. Hal had initially been concerned about Fate's ability to keep up with him – as a Lantern, his ring allowed him flight speeds several times beyond that of light when he was in space (if that weren't the case the Corpsmen would never be able to get anywhere) – and had suggested taking a Javelin, but Fate soon proved why his status as one of the Earth's greatest wizards was completely justified. One spell (albeit a long, arduous, and complicated one involving incantations to enable Fate to draw power from ether in space in order to augment his speed) was all it took to resolve the issue. Now they were well out of their solar system and about halfway to Oa.

For a while, they traveled in silence – because Doctor Fate was not one to initiate a conversation for conversation's sake (with the exception of when he was around his wife, and, perhaps, his former Justice Society teammates), and because Hal was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to make small talk.

Presently, however, the sole human in the Green Lantern Corps decided to try speaking to the wizard about the subject of his thoughts. Doctor Fate was widely regarded within the superhero community to be very wise – partly because of his age and his experience with the JSA – and Hal felt he could use some of that wisdom.

"Kent…" he began, and Doctor Fate turned to study him – the use of his first name indicated that a serious conversation of a somewhat personal nature was to follow. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but…you had a mentor, right? When you were just starting out as a wizard?"

"I was mentored by the Egyptian god Nabu, yes," Fate affirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you ever…I mean, was there ever any time when you felt that he was pushing you away? Like all of a sudden there was something wrong with your relationship?"

If Fate was confused, he didn't show it. "No, never. Nabu was an excellent mentor. He wasn't affectionate, by any means, but his treatment of me was always the same." He cast another sideways glance at the Green Lantern. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, you have an ulterior motive for asking this. Is there something amiss between yourself and your own mentor in the Corps?"

Hal chewed on his lip – it was a habit Carol had tried to break him out of repeatedly, but thus far, her success was limited. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just know it's not the same. Lately Sinestro's been…edgy. He doesn't talk to me much anymore, and though I didn't think it was possible for him to become grumpier than he was, he has."

"So what is your point?"

Hal sighed. "I don't know." His expression turned wry. "I know, I sound paranoid…"

"Have you considered the possibility that you may be reading too much into it?" Doctor Fate questioned. "He could just be going through a tough time."

"Yeah, I thought of that. But – call it a gut instinct – but something just feels…I dunno…off." Hal paused. "Good grief, listen to me. I'm starting to sound like a clingy girlfriend." He cringed at the thought. "You know what, you're right," he ceded. "I'm reading too much into it."

"Perhaps," Fate agreed. "Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to keep your eyes open." He let that hang in the airless space, letting the younger man ponder on his words.

* * *

When they arrived on Oa Doctor Fate performed a simple spell designed to detect powerful mystic energy. It wouldn't give them the location of the Heartstone, but it would tell them whether it really was on Oa or not.

"Well?" Hal queried once Fate emerged from his spell-casting trance.

"The rumors are true," the sorcerer confirmed. "The Heartstone is here. But we'll need to ascertain which of the Guardians possesses it."

Hal nodded. "I think I know who can help us out."

* * *

Hal found Tomar-Re in the enormous domed library next to the Lantern Corps Headquarters building. The ichthyologic Corpsman was engrossed in a hardcover book labeled with some alien writing Hal couldn't identify.

"Tomar," he called, tapping the other Lantern on the shoulder. Tomar-Re startled slightly and raised his finned head to look at Hal.

"Greetings, Jordan," the Xudarian addressed. "What brings _you_ to the library?"

Hal paused, noting the emphasis in _you_. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing at all, my friend." Tomar-Re smiled enigmatically. "I was merely referring to the fact that you are one of the least likely Corpsmen to venture into the library."

Hal chuckled. It was true that he was no bookworm. He was a man of action, ready and willing to take risks at any time, but he preferred to leave the researching to someone else.

Tomar-Re nodded at Doctor Fate, who was standing a little behind Hal. "Who is your companion?"

"Tomar, this is one of my friends from Earth, Doctor Fate," Hal introduced. "He's one of my planet's greatest sorcerers."

"A pleasure," Tomar greeted. "But this is no social visit, I'm sure. So, what brings you here?"

"I need some information," Hal admitted. "I know one of the Guardians owns a Heartstone."

Tomar raised an eyebrow. "There's a rumor about that, yes."

"More than just a rumor," Hal countered pointedly. "As I'm sure you know."

Tomar said nothing, but Hal took his silence as tacit confirmation. "Do you know which Guardian it is?" he asked.

This time Tomar did reply. "Perhaps." He clasped his fingers. "Why is it of interest to you?"

"We require access to the Heartstone in order to create a magical potion," Doctor Fate interjected. "It is somewhat of a life and death situation."

"And this potion is the remedy to your situation?"

"Yes."

Tomar-Re exhaled. "The fact that a Guardian of Oa owns a Heartstone isn't exactly a big secret," he admitted. "It is simply not common knowledge who exactly it is."

"But you know, right?" asked Hal.

Tomar's lip quirked. "Yes, I know."

"It's not Ranakar, is it? Please tell me he's not the one…it'll be near impossible to persuade him to let us use the Heartstone…"

"No, it's not Ranakar." Tomar sounded slightly amused. "It is Lianna."

* * *

Lianna happened to be off duty that day, so after asking Tomar-Re for directions to her personal residence in the Oan suburbs, Hal and Doctor Fate proceeded to make their way there.

Just outside the Corps Headquarters, they encountered none other than Thaal Sinestro, just back from a routine patrol mission of his galactic sector.

"Jordan," the Korugarian greeted his protégé. "Who's this?"

"Doctor Fate is one of my teammates from Earth," Hal explained. "We're here on a mission for the Justice League."

Sinestro nodded curtly in acknowledgment. "Very well. Carry on."

Hal grasped Sinestro's arm as the other Lantern made to enter Headquarters. "Hey. Are you all right?"

"Fine," Sinestro replied automatically. "Why?"

Hal released his hold on Sinestro's arm. "I'm just…worried about you. You've been a little…distant."

Sinestro's expression softened a fraction. "Thank you for your concern, Jordan, but I am perfectly well." He nodded at them. "All the best on your mission," he said, before swiftly disappearing into the building.

"I believe your gut instinct was correct," Doctor Fate observed. "It would appear Sinestro is bothered about something."

"Yeah." Hal shook his head. "I'll worry about it later. Come on, we've got a job to do."

* * *

It was surprisingly not that difficult to convince Lianna to allow Doctor Fate to nick a chip off her Heartstone. She was totally unconcerned that they knew she had it, and was only skeptical when Hal said they needed a chip of it for a potion. However, once Doctor Fate took over the technical explanation, assuring her that he was more than qualified to deal with something of such a powerful nature, she cautiously accepted it. She insisted that Fate prove his ability by casting several complicated spells, and when he did so with ease, she agreed to let him chip a tiny piece off the Heartstone. Once the deed had been done, she warned Hal not to make a habit of carelessly spreading Green Lantern lore around, and showed them out of her house.

"Well, we are done here," remarked Doctor Fate. "Shall we return to the Watchtower?"

"Let's," Hal agreed.

* * *

_**A/N: You wouldn't believe me one bit if I tried to claim that I wasn't foreshadowing anything, would you?**_


	16. In Which The Black Mercy Is Not A Myth

_**A/N: Longer chapter today. Thanks to **leathman **for his reviews on the last two chapters.**  
_

_**Oh, by the way, take note: there was no way I could slip someone like Mongul in here without throwing the whole story in a totally different and unnecessary direction, so I came up with something else to (sort of) explain the presence of the Black Mercy plant on Earth.**_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: In Which The Black Mercy Is Not Just A Myth**

"Haaaghh!" The unfortunate man was flung across the alley, where he bounced against the wall and landed painfully beside a Dumpster.

"Ow!" he groaned. "Hey, cool it, lady!"

"We told you we could do this the easy way or the hard way," John Constantine said nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. "It was entirely your choice."

"I don't know nothin' about any weird plant!"

Hawkgirl tapped her mace against her palm. "You wanna bet on that, shorty?"

J'onn sighed as he held out an arm to hold his errant teammate back. As the only pacifist in their group, it was inevitable that he would be the voice of calm reason between the hotheaded aggressiveness of both Hawkgirl and John Constantine.

Hawkgirl pouted at J'onn's obvious message for her to restrain herself, but she depowered her mace expectantly. J'onn glanced at Constantine, who shrugged in a 'go-ahead' gesture, before crouching down in front of the diminutive man rubbing his shoulder.

"Listen," the Martian said, "I am just as anxious as my teammates to locate the Black Mercy, but unlike myself, they are not as patient as I am. And they can be quite…persuasive. If you would kindly tell us the information we require, we will leave you alone and be on our way."

"I don't know nothin'," the man insisted stubbornly.

"You must have heard rumors," said J'onn. "The Black Mercy is too extraordinary to be kept in total obscurity."

"The Black Mercy is a myth," the man said. "I mean, come on! A plant that gives you your dream life? Get real."

"All right," J'onn agreed pleasantly. "Assuming I were to 'get real', where would I find this mythical plant?"

The man gaped at him in disbelief. "Try the asylum," he snarked. "You're all crazy if you think something like that is real." He stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm outta here."

Constantine made to stop his hasty retreat, but J'onn prevented him from doing so, causing the Liverpool detective to glare at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed. "That was my best lead!"

"He gave us what we needed."

Constantine stared at him incredulously. "Were we listening to the same conversation?"

"Indeed we were. I was merely able to hear more than you."

"What in the blazes…" Constantine caught J'onn's slightly upturned lips, and the answer clicked into place. "Of course. You read his mind, didn't you?"

J'onn nodded. "Once you bring up a subject an individual has knowledge of, their minds will automatically think of whatever information they have on it, even if they do not say anything."

Constantine looked thoughtful. "I'll have to remember that."

"How will it help you?" Hawkgirl questioned. "You can't read minds."

Constantine smirked. "How do _you_ know, sweetheart?"

"_Don't _call me that."

"Ooh, touchy. Bad memories?" Constantine guessed. "Did your lover leave you?"

"You're one to talk. What happened between you and Zatanna?"

Constantine shrugged. "Same story as with other couples, I imagine. I screwed up, she said some things, and we both left angry. But we were talking about you," he said pointedly.

"Let's not," Hawkgirl suggested.

"Now you've got me curious." Constantine smirked. "Come on, out with it. No, wait, let me guess – you had a bad breakup too."

Hawkgirl had stiffened where she stood. "Watch it," she growled, her hand automatically reaching for her mace. "You do _not _want to go there."

Constantine raised his hands placatingly. "I'm not trying to be insulting. I'm just saying, I know how it feels."

Hawkgirl scowled ferociously at him. "Let's get one thing straight, pal – your situation and mine are a galaxy away from each other. Completely and utterly different. So don't try to pretend you know what it's like, got it?"

Like any good gambler, Constantine was smart enough to know when not to push his luck. So he relented, "Fine, I hear you." He glanced at J'onn. "So did Shorty's brain tell you where we can find the Black Mercy?"

"The Black Mercy is not native to Earth," J'onn replied. "It is of alien origin."

"Don't tell me we have to go look for it in space," groaned Hawkgirl.

"No. Our diminutive acquaintance didn't know the details, but he did know of a demonologist who has a propensity to collect all manner of obscure artefacts. He may have a Black Mercy – or at least know where we can find one."

Constantine's eyes had narrowed at the mention of the demonologist. "Did Shorty happen to know the name of this demonologist?"

J'onn nodded. "Jason Blood."

* * *

The Watchtower comm. crackled, and a second later J'onn's voice said, _"Batman, requesting teleport to Gotham City."_

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Why do you need to go to Gotham?"

_"We have reason to believe that someone in Gotham may have a Black Mercy plant."_

"Who?"

_"A man named Jason Blood. Do you know him?"_

"I've heard of him. Never met him." As he tapped in the coordinates of his hometown, he filed away the tidbit about Jason Blood for future reference. "Teleport in five seconds."

* * *

According to Constantine, Jason Blood's manor was located on the northwest outskirts of Gotham, in a small thicket that provided both concealment and seclusion for its sole occupant.

"So, you know this Jason Blood character?" Hawkgirl inquired of Constantine as they walked through the trees.

Constantine lifted and dropped one shoulder in a half shrug. "We've met once or twice. Blood's an immortal. He's been around for centuries, since the time of King Arthur. Us Brits tend to find each other somehow. Doesn't necessarily mean we like each other, though." He snorted.

"Is that why you didn't think to ask him about the Black Mercy?" J'onn queried curiously.

"Oh, no, I thought about it. The Black Mercy is classified as a demonic plant in certain circles, and Blood knows everything there is to know about demons. But I thought it best to go through other sources if I could. Blood and I…don't exactly get along."

"Let me guess," Hawkgirl said dryly. "He doesn't like you."

"He doesn't approve of my methods."

"I wonder why." Constantine decided to ignore the sarcasm in the Thanagarian's tone.

"We're here," J'onn said, as they approached the black iron gates that closed off Jason Blood's land.

"Maybe you'd better wait outside," Hawkgirl suggested to Constantine.

Constantine frowned. "Why?"

"Because Blood doesn't like you. That might make a bad first impression, don't you think?"

"At least he _knows _me," Constantine countered. "Which is more than I can say for you."

"Why would that matter?" Hawkgirl wanted to know.

"Blood's an antisocial bloke. He doesn't play well with others – especially if he doesn't know them. If you two knock on his door he'll probably slam it in your face."

"Like he wouldn't slam it in yours," Hawkgirl scoffed.

"He probably would," Constantine admitted. "But he'd want to know why I'm on his land. Even if he doesn't like me, at least he'll hear me out."

Hawkgirl looked at him skeptically. "Let's test that theory." She gestured at the intercom next to the gate, inviting Constantine to speak into it. With a smirk that announced to Hawkgirl that her challenge had been accepted, the English detective sauntered up to the intercom and buzzed it.

_"Hello?"_

"Evening, Blood. It's John Constantine."

J'onn could almost hear Jason Blood scowling over the intercom. _"You are truly impudent to come here, Constantine. What do you want?"_

"I'm helping a friend."

_"What does it have to do with me?"_

"I need to find a plant called the Black Mercy. Ever heard of it?" Constantine asked casually.

_"Never. Go away."_

Hawkgirl looked smug, but Constantine wasn't giving up. "Bollocks. I know you have, Blood."

_"You know nothing. Begone before I set the hellhounds on you."_

"Look, Blood, I know you know about the Black Mercy, and I'm sure you know I know. I will climb over this bloody gate if I have to, and there won't be a bleeding thing you can do about it."

There was a pause. Then Blood sighed, in a tone that was a mix of resignation and exasperation. _"Fine. I suppose you'd better come in." _The black gates started to open. _"_Don't_ touch anything."_

"Wouldn't dream of it, Blood." Constantine grinned at Hawkgirl, who rolled her eyes.

The trio walked up the driveway to the gray, Victorian-style manor. Jason Blood – who turned out to be a tall, broad-shouldered, well-built man with a head of dark red hair split near the center by a white lock – was waiting for them at the front door.

"Who are these?" he demanded of Constantine.

"My temporary teammates. Allow me to introduce Hawkgirl and the Martian Manhunter, of the Justice League." Constantine waved his arm with a flourish as he named them.

Blood's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he said nothing and gestured for them to come inside, shutting the door behind them with an ominous thud. He then proceeded to lead them through the corridors of his house, the heels of his shoes clipping with poise against the floor.

"Why do you need a Black Mercy?" Blood's question was abrupt, direct, and accusatory.

"Ah, so you _do _know it," said Constantine.

"Before I agree to anything, I must know what you need it for." Blood stopped in front of a large mahogany door. "The Black Mercy is an incredibly powerful and dangerous flora. In the wrong hands, it can be deadly. It is not something you _trifle _with." This last was said with a ferocious glare at Constantine.

"Blimey, Blood, that was _ten years_ ago."

"I have a long memory." Blood turned to face them. "So, I'll ask again. What do you need the Black Mercy for?"

Constantine told him.

"What kind of heathen witch would cast such a foul curse?" Blood responded. He sounded aghast.

"For once, Blood, you and I can agree on something." Constantine crossed his arms. "Look, I understand how dangerous the Black Mercy is. I didn't spend months trying to find out what the bloody thing even was without realizing that it's a shite load of peril. But this is the only way to break the spell. If you don't want to help me, fine. I don't give a rat's arse. But do it for Zatara. I know you like him."

"I do not deny that. But I don't trust you, Constantine," Blood said bluntly.

Constantine frowned for a moment, but then his face smoothened and he actually cracked a small, cocky grin. "Yeah, you don't. But you're going to help us anyway, aren't you?"

Blood looked pained. "Merlin help me," he muttered, "yes, I am. I owe Zatara a debt." He opened the door and walked into a room filled with odd-looking plants. The blinds were closed shut and the only light came from UV bulbs along the ceiling. In one corner of the room, caged up and placed well away from the other plants, was a mass of writhing purple tentacles and large, bulbous flowers.

Constantine whistled. "Sweet Lord, that is beastly."

"_That _is what we're putting in the potion?" Hawkgirl wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Do you know how to handle them?" J'onn asked Blood, who snorted.

"If I didn't know I would not be imprudent enough to presume to rear them."

"You _rear _these things?" Hawkgirl exclaimed. "Why on Thanagar would you do that?"

"The Black Mercy has properties that are important to the study of demonology," Blood explained. "Also, by keeping them here, I can ensure that no unsavory characters are able to gain access to the Black Mercy. As far as I am aware, these are the only specimens on Earth."

"How did you acquire them?" J'onn queried, genuinely curious.

"That's my business."

"So, I've got a question, Blood," said Constantine, shifting his gaze from the squirming Black Mercy plants to the demonologist. "How come you've never fallen prey to the Black Mercy?"

"I have. But as it turns out, I am immune to its paralyzing qualities."

Constantine raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Blood's face remained impassive. "Let's just say that my unique condition is both a blessing and a curse. Step back."

The other three heeded his warning as Blood took an extraordinarily large pair of gardening pliers and slipped it between the bars of the cage.

_"'Unique condition'?" _Hawkgirl mouthed at Constantine. He did not answer, and she scowled and dropped it. J'onn, though, watched Blood's movements with morbid fascination.

Using the pliers, Blood roughly squeezed and moved individual Black Mercy plants out of the way, ignoring the plants' protesting squeals, until he found a tiny specimen about the size of a tennis ball. He then deftly maneuvered the pliers so that its prongs pinched the join between a single petal and the flower center, and squeezed hard. The petal came loose with a squelch that made Hawkgirl gag, accompanied by a pitiful cry of pain from a baby plant that was entirely too sentient for J'onn's liking. Only Blood and Constantine seemed unaffected.

Blood withdrew the severed petal and placed it in a plastic container that seemed just too mundane a vessel to hold part of a perilous alien plant, but Constantine refrained from making a smart remark when Blood handed him the container.

"Thanks, Blood."

Blood replied simply, "Don't make a habit of this, Constantine. I still don't like you."

* * *

_**A/N: So, **leath**, was it three for three? Or were you expecting Mongul instead?**_


	17. In Which Chimeras Are Dangerous

_**A/N: Many thanks to** leathman **and **Skillgannon **for reviewing on the l****ast chapter!**_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: In Which Chimeras Are Dangerous**

"How are we supposed to find a chimera?"

Flash and Superman were waiting for Batman to teleport Zatara to the Watchtower. The other teams had already been transported to their respective starting locations, while Doctor Fate and Green Lantern had already left for Oa.

"I mean," Flash continued, as the transporter's beam started taking Zatara's form, "up until today I only ever knew the genetic meaning of the word."

"There's a genetic definition for chimera?" Superman sounded surprised.

"Remind me to tell you one day."

Zatara had finished materializing on the teleport pad. Batman swept over to his teammates.

"Zatara, this is Superman and Flash." He indicated each of them as he introduced them. "They'll be helping you obtain the chimera blood."

Zatara nodded, smiling slightly. "It's nice that you've found yourself a team."

Batman said nothing, but Superman noticed his expression softened very fractionally.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Z," Flash said enthusiastically, zipping up to shake his hand. "I watched your show a few months back. It was spectacular."

"Thank you."

"I've programmed the coordinates," Batman spoke up just then. "Superman, Flash, prepare for teleport."

"Wait, so where are we going?" Flash asked as he and Superman took their places on the transporter. The blue beam began to engulf them. "Bats?"

Batman did not answer, and the teleporter whisked them away before Flash could ask again.

* * *

They were teleported to a sandy beach bordering a crystal blue body of water that lapped gentle waves on the shore. Some way up the beach was a line of trees that deepened into the rest of the tropical forest, and farther inland rose an orange-toned mountain. Really, the whole scene was rather idyllic.

"Where are we?" Flash asked, looking around.

"We're on one of the South Pacific islands," Zatara replied. "A tiny thing, really, the Pacific Ocean is full of such atolls – Hawaii, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands – but this is the only one where you can find chimeras."

"Huh," Flash commented. He glanced at Superman. "Makes you wonder what else is on these islands, doesn't it?"

"How many chimeras are there on this island?" Superman asked.

"I've no idea," Zatara admitted. "But they'll probably be farther inland. They like to stay near the volcano." He gestured at the mountain, which Flash looked at with new apprehension.

"That's a volcano?"

"Oh, yes," replied Zatara. "Don't worry – according to my research, it's been dormant for years."

"Uh-huh." Flash suppressed a shudder. "Can we go find a chimera, get its blood, and get out of here? It's too creepy knowing we're the only ones on this island."

Zatara chuckled, sounding amused, but Superman understood where Flash was coming from. Though he himself liked to be alone sometimes in his Fortress of Solitude, Flash was a very social person who needed people he liked and trusted around him.

"Let's go, then," said Superman, already rising into the air.

* * *

"May I ask you something, Zatara?"

Zatara, floating alongside Superman, shot the Man of Steel a questioning expression. "You may."

"Well, I don't mean to be nosy," Superman began, slightly uneasily, "but…how do you know Batman?"

"Is this curiosity or concern?" Zatara inquired. Superman smiled slightly.

"A little bit of both. Batman…well, he keeps his past closely guarded, and I'd like to get to know him a bit better. And I'm a little concerned as well because this is the first time I've seen him so intent to find someone who wasn't a villain."

Zatara gave an amused snort, but did not answer right away. Superman waited patiently.

"He came to me," the magician replied finally. "As a young man. He asked me to train him."

"You _trained _him?" Superman sounded awed.

"Only in escapology and ventriloquism," Zatara responded. "Whatever other abilities he possesses, he learned elsewhere."

"What was he like?"

"Angry, moody, resentful, hostile…I'm sure you get the picture."

Superman smiled wryly. He could just imagine a young Bruce Wayne, harsh and cold and burning with single-minded determination for revenge. Knowing where Batman came from, he sometimes had to wonder how the Dark Knight had mellowed to the extent that he had. He said as much to Zatara, who smiled.

"He has good friends, I think," the older man said. Then he sighed. "When he was training with me, my daughter was the only one who could make him even remotely more cheerful." His voice grew wistful at the thought of Zatanna.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Superman.

"Of course. I have not seen her for near a decade. I was not able to see her become a woman," he added sadly.

"You would be proud of her," said Superman. "She's a remarkable young lady."

"Just like her mother, I'm sure." Zatara's eyes were far away as he remembered his late wife.

At that moment, Superman was abruptly distracted by a sharp cry that he heard from both his comlink and by his super-hearing. _"YEOW!" _

"Flash?" the Kryptonian asked in concern. "Flash, what is it? Are you all right?"

_"I'm okay. I, uh, think I found a chimera."_

Superman exchanged a glance with Zatara. "Where exactly are you?"

_"Volcano. Eastern side." _Superman's sharp ears picked out the roars of a fearsome beast somewhere near the center of the island, and then he heard Flash yelp and use his superspeed. _"Hurry and get here before it fries me for breakfast."_

"We're on our way."

* * *

Flash avoided another jet of fire by ducking behind a tall boulder. "Maaann, you are ugly," he commented, eyeing the three-headed creature in front of him. The front of the chimera was exactly like that of a lion – powerful forelegs and feline paws armed with sharp claws, and a head crowned with a reddish-brown mane. Further down the chimera's body, the tawny gold fur of the lion deepened into the stark black of a mountain goat, whose hind legs ended in solid, surefooted, black cloven hooves. The goat's head rose from the lion's back, its horns curving wickedly into sharp points. The chimera's tail was the long, muscular body of a snake, coated in shimmering green scales. The goat craned its long neck and the snake curled forwards so that all three of the chimera's animal heads were facing Flash.

The lion opened its maw, and Flash had only a split second to duck under the next stream of fire. He mentally cursed Batman's division of teams. "Why do I always get the hard jobs?" he moaned.

A menacing hissing noise came from his left, and Flash spun his head around to see the chimera's snake-head snapping its poisonous fangs at him. "Crap!" he exclaimed, backing away at superspeed – only to bump hard into something furry; beneath the layer of down he felt the deep vibrations of a roar. Stomach clenching, Flash slowly looked up to find the lion-head directly above his own. _Shit! I had no idea that snake was so long! _He saw the snake withdrawing from the other side of the rock and he cautiously edged away from the lion, only to come face to face with the lion again. "What the –"

Head whipping from side to side, Flash went cold with horror as he realized it wasn't the same lion-head. There were _two _chimeras looking down on him from either side of the rock. And both their snake-heads had twisted around to block the only path of escape.

_I'm so dead._

"Flash, get down!"

Flash instinctively dropped down, letting loose an _oof _as Superman forcefully slammed into him just as both chimeras opened fire. Flash felt the burning heat through his skintight suit, but he was protected from the worst of the flames by Superman's indestructible body and the cape the Kryptonian had wrapped around him.

Seconds later, the fire barrage stopped, and Superman yanked Flash into the air before the chimeras could unleash their next attack.

"How did you even manage to get yourself into that situation?" Superman wondered.

"It's not my fault!" Flash protested grumpily. "Why the heck do creatures like that even exist?"

Superman ignored him in favor of calling out to Zatara, who was moving through the air towards them. "Did you get it?"

In response, Zatara held up a tiny glass vial filled with very dark red, almost black, blood. "I just managed to."

"How did you get that?" Flash asked incredulously.

"I extracted it from one of the chimeras while they were trying to cook you."

"Hold on," said Flash. "You mean I was the _bait_?"

"It wasn't intentional," Superman assured him. "We saw that the chimeras were so focused on you that they wouldn't notice Zatara withdrawing a bit of their blood, so we capitalized on the opportunity."

"Oh, that makes me feel loads better," Flash said sarcastically.

An odd, savage sound echoed from somewhere nearby, and Flash realized he was hearing all three of the chimera's heads expressing their fury. The harsh braying of the goat clashed with the lion's deep-throated roar, and even the sibilance of the snake's voice was audible through the din. To Flash's horrified disbelief, he saw one chimera unfurling a pair of webbed dragon wings. The sturdy membranes caught the wind and propelled the chimera into the air.

"You've got to be kidding me," exclaimed Flash. "They've got wings too?"

"Only some of them," Zatara replied. "It's genetic, I think."

"Wonderful," Flash remarked. "Can we please get out of here?"

"Superman to Watchtower," said Superman. "Requesting teleport."

_"I can't teleport you while you're moving. You're going to have to stay still," _Batman grunted.

"Um…" Superman glanced at the flying chimera, which was getting closer to them. For the first time, the Man of Steel looked slightly apprehensive. "Not really an option right now."

_"What part of that didn't you understand?" _Batman growled. _"Find a way to stay still, or I won't be able to lock on to your signatures."_

Zatara muttered a spell, and a glowing barrier sprang up between them and the chimera. "That won't hold it for long. Back to the beach?" he suggested.

"Good idea," Superman agreed, as both he and Zatara high-tailed it. They landed on the beach moments later, and Superman called for the teleport.

_"Hold on," _said Batman.

An almighty roar reached their ears, and the heroes looked up to see not one, but three winged chimeras rushing towards them. Flash's eyes widened.

"Bats, anytime now."

Over the comlink, Batman muttered a curse. _"The lock-on mechanism is jammed."_

"Batman, we can't stay still for much longer," Superman urged. The chimeras were quickly closing in; even Zatara looked anxious.

They waited, but there was still no blue light. The chimeras were no more than ten feet away.

"Bats!" Flash yelled.

Finally, the transporter beam descended over them, and the island vanished, to be replaced by the Watchtower interior. The three heroes breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Cutting it kind of close, weren't you?" Superman observed to Batman, who was standing by the teleport controls, looking murderous.

The Dark Knight scowled and said, "We need to upgrade the transport systems."

* * *

_**A/N: Only one more chapter and an epilogue to go!**_


	18. In Which Father And Child Reconnect

_**A/N: Penultimate chapter, folks! Thanks to **RollingUpHigh, Skillgannon, **and **doglover500 **for re****viewing.**  
_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: In Which Father And Child Reconnect**

Zatanna paced the hallways of the House of Mystery, beating a worn path into the red carpet that covered the floor in this area of the mansion. From his position in one corner, Constantine kept a sharp eye on her. By some miracle, Batman had elected to entrust Zatanna to Constantine's care and was nowhere to be seen himself, even though Constantine knew the Dark Knight cared almost as much for the young sorceress as he did. Batman's excuse when Constantine had asked him why was two-fold: first, that that he had some League business he needed to take care of, and second, that the two former lovers needed to sort out their issues.

Zatanna's voice drew Constantine's attention away from his memory of the conversation with Batman. The sorceress was muttering under her breath, trying to calm herself down – Constantine knew she was finding the waiting agonizing.

"Zee."

Zatanna's pacing paused as she gazed at him questioningly, her brow furrowed.

"Stop worrying," he told her. "Everything's going to be fine."

"But what if it doesn't –"

"It _will _work."

"You sound so sure."

"Because I am." Constantine moved away from the corner to stand next to her. "Those ingredients are bloody powerful, Zee. They're not going to fail spectacularly like cheap salamander heart."

Zatanna smiled slightly at the reference to the potion-making experience she and Constantine had had once. They'd bought salamander heart from an apothecary who claimed he was able to sell it so cheap because he owned a salamander farm. It had turned out to be modified chicken liver, and their potion had had absolutely no effect.

"You know, I never asked…" Zatanna looked at him almost shyly. "How are you, John?"

"Ah." Constantine shrugged, a rakish smile appearing on his face. "You know me. Getting into hot water, bailing myself out, then finding more trouble…" He caught the look on Zatanna's face, realized she wanted a serious answer, and changed track. "I've been good, Zee."

"Did you miss me?" _At all? _she refrained from adding.

Constantine stared at her. "Do you even have to ask?"

Zatanna fell silent, remembering how he'd told her he still loved her.

"Did you?" Constantine's question was quiet.

Zatanna considered saying no, but she knew she couldn't lie. "Yes," she sighed. "I really shouldn't, but I missed you." She glared at him. "You're a terrible influence on me, John Constantine."

His lips lifted in a crooked grin. "It's what I do best."

"What happens now?" she asked. "With us?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. You called the shots last time."

"I am not accepting all the blame," she responded heatedly.

"I know it was mostly my fault," Constantine agreed calmly, "but you didn't exactly give me a chance to explain, did you?"

"What was there to explain? It was perfectly clear why you –"

"Zee." His tone held a hint of exasperation. Zatanna relented.

"Fine. Explain, then," she invited.

"I did it for you, Zee."

Zatanna blinked. "What…"

"You were always traveling for your show, you didn't have your mother or your father or any other family, you didn't really have friends – Batman doesn't count," he said as she opened her mouth to interrupt. "I know he helps you if you come to him but he always puts Gotham first. I knew I was the only one you had. The cancer was going to kill me, so I had to do something so I wouldn't leave you alone."

"John…" Zatanna was speechless. Constantine took a chance; reaching out, he entwined his fingers with hers.

` "I haven't changed, Zee. That's bad in some areas, I'll grant you – but it's good in others. Because I still care for you, and I'll still look out for you."

"Are you…trying to win me back?" Zatanna asked.

Constantine withdrew his fingers. "That's your choice. I _should _be telling you to stay away from me…" His voice was wry. "But I've always been selfish."

Zatanna took a few minutes to think about that. "Maybe not," she decided finally. "Even apart from your devil's deal, we had some pretty big issues."

Constantine shrugged. "I guess we did. Still…" He extended a hand. "Friends?"

Zatanna smiled and shook his hand. "Friends," she agreed. Then she pulled him into a hug. "And later, who knows? _Maybe._" She left her promise hanging, causing Constantine to grin.

Someone cleared his throat, and Zatanna and Constantine broke apart to find J'onn standing in front of the door to Zatara's room. He and Doctor Fate had been helping Zatara brew the potion. In his hand was a metal goblet full of some purple liquid. Zatanna sucked in a breath.

"Is that –?"

"Yes." J'onn held it out to her. Zatanna exchanged a look with Constantine, who nodded encouragingly. She stepped forward, took the chalice, and downed the potion.

* * *

Batman had not lied to Constantine when he told the other man that he had League business to take care of. He did have a proposal he wanted to put forth to the League – but that was not the main reason he had decided not to stick around the House of Mystery while Zatara brewed the potion. Neither was it entirely because he knew being left together would force Zatanna and Constantine to address their issues – though he cared for Zee, and wanted her to be happy (as it was obvious she still had feelings for Constantine), if he was honest with himself he knew that wasn't the most important thing for him.

In reality, Batman had left because he had a much more personal matter to attend to. He knew Zatanna and Zatara were finally going to reunite after almost a decade apart, and remembering Zatanna's advice from more than a week earlier, he decided it was time to reconnect with someone in his own life.

So it was that Bruce Wayne now stood in the dimly-lit corridor of the apartment complex, observing the numbers on the door in front of him with almost clinical detachment. It was fairly late at night, but he knew the apartment's two occupants would still be up – neither of them tended to go to bed early, particularly if they weren't staying at the Tower. They had…_other _things they liked to do at night in the privacy of their own apartment.

He knocked on the door.

There was a sudden silence in the apartment, and Bruce could almost feel the mood change from one of warmth and coziness to one of wariness. He approved; that was exactly how he would have reacted if someone were to unexpectedly visit him this late at night.

Bruce could also sense when the wariness became suspicious annoyance, as the person behind the door looked through the peephole. Nevertheless, a few seconds later, the door was opened, and Bruce found himself staring into the bright blue eyes of his former charge.

Arms crossed, gaze boring unrelentingly into Bruce's, Dick Grayson said nothing. He simply stood in the doorway, waiting.

For a long moment neither of them spoke. Then Bruce said, "I'm sorry."

Dick's eyes widened. After a moment, he smiled – the first real smile Bruce had seen directed at him for almost five years. "Do you…want to come in?" he invited.

Bruce felt his own lips pull into a smile. "I'd like that."

* * *

The anticipation was so thick it was almost painful. Zatanna's heart was beating so fast that it ached, her muscles were tensed, and she was trembling with expectation. She held her breath as she watched the door to her father's room open – it seemed to take a long time.

And then, finally – _finally _– after nine long years, she laid eyes on her beloved father.

Zatara was exactly as she remembered, save for the extra white in his dark hair. His black eyes glistened with unshed tears and his lip moved beneath his moustache to say her name. The next thing Zatanna knew, she was being enveloped in her father's strong arms, which wrapped around her and squeezed her to his chest with such force it seemed he would never let go. She hugged him to her equally as tightly. Both were crying now, caught up in the intense emotion of finally being reunited after so many years apart. J'onn, Doctor Fate, and Constantine watched from the sidelines with smiles on their faces.

"Daddy…" Zatanna murmured, becoming for a moment the seventeen-year-old girl he had left behind. "Oh, Daddy…I missed you so much…"

"Shh, my dear." Zatara moved his hand to tilt her chin towards him so he could see her eyes. "I'm home now, sweetheart."

The endearments spilled from his lips freely, but Zatanna was waiting for one nickname in particular that she had not yet heard – a nickname she had sorely missed. A nickname that, once uttered, would truly affirm the fact that she had her father back once more.

As if reading her mind, Zatara brushed her tears away with his thumb. "My magic maid," he said tenderly, and Zatanna thrilled to hear the moniker again. "You've grown into such a fine young lady, and I am proud…" Zatanna beamed with recognition at the familiar phrase, feeling the final piece of this happy moment slide home. "…to call you my daughter."

* * *

_**A/N: As some of you may already have guessed, the title of this chapter doesn't just refer to Zatara and Zatanna, but also to Bruce and Dick.**_

_**Epilogue tomorrow. It's gonna be a fun one :)**_


	19. In Which There Is A Wedding

_**A/N: With the final chapter comes the final round of thanks. Thanks to all my reviewers, including **RollingUpHigh **for last chapter, and especially **leathman **for, once again, reviewing every single chapter.**  
_

* * *

**Epilogue: In Which There Is A Wedding**

Clark stood in front of the altar, nervously tugging at his red tie and continually adjusting his tuxedo collar. This was it. In a little under an hour, a marriage ceremony would cap off his and Lois' complex, extraordinary journey. For over a decade, theirs had been a relationship that had, at one time or another, included heated arguments and complaints, insults and nicknames, grudging but growing mutual respect, fierce competition, one-sided admiration and affection that gradually evolved into a more balanced romantic tryst, plenty of lies, half-truths, and circular statements, and a bizarre love triangle which had never actually been a real triangle in the first place.

But that was all over now – in a matter of minutes, Clark would be Mr. Lois Lane, married to the woman who had inspired in him both deep love and constant headaches in equal measure.

The thought was exciting, but sobering. What if he couldn't live up to being both Superman and a husband? What if by marrying Lois he was putting her in even more danger than before? What if he failed to fulfill her expectations and she ended up leaving him?

_"Clark, do yourself a favor and stop thinking so much."_

Clark blinked at the voice that only he could hear, thanks to his sensitive hearing. His gaze turned to the congregation of wedding guests in the church, and he smiled widely. Bruce had come after all. The Gotham billionaire was sitting in the second pew, covering his mouth with his hand so no one would notice him mouthing the words spoken so softly that only Clark could hear them. Clark caught his eye and nodded to show that he had received the message; Bruce dropped his hand in acknowledgment.

Clark's eyes roved over the rest of the pews, taking note of the people who had come to share in his special day. His parents were sitting in the front pew with Kara, all smiles and twinkling eyes. In the same pew were his old friends from Smallville, Lana Lang and Pete Ross, as well as Perry White. The three pews behind them were filled by Clark's hero friends. Diana was sitting next to Bruce, her raven hair swept up in an elegant updo that no one would associate with Wonder Woman (plus brown contact lenses to complete the look). Alfred, Jason Todd, and Barbara Gordon were seated at the other end of the same pew (Jason was fidgeting uncomfortably in his suit and muttering curses under his breath about it; Clark winced imperceptibly at some of the more colorful words, wondering where the still-tween had picked up such language). Dick Grayson was on Bruce's other side, with Kory next to him as his plus-one, wearing a holoring so she looked human.

Behind them sat the other four Titans, who hadn't actually been technically invited (because Clark didn't really know them that well), but Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Wonder Girl had sort of invited themselves along, and roped Raven into it as well. Clark found he didn't really mind. Donna looked stunning in a red cocktail dress, while Cyborg and Beast Boy, like Kory, were wearing holorings to conceal their remarkable appearance. Raven had also employed some measures to disguise her identity, not so much for her own sake as for Clark's. Wally and Hal were sitting in the same row, as was Wally's date, Linda Park.

The third row held Oliver and Dinah Queen (still quite pregnant) and their adopted daughter Artemis, John Jones and Shayera (who had her wings folded under a classy tan trench coat borrowed from Dinah), and Zatanna and Zatara, whom Clark had impulsively added to the guest list after they both accepted the invitation (extended at Batman's suggestion) to join the League.

There were a few who weren't present, of course. For instance, Kent Nelson had graciously declined to attend, and Roy Harper had university finals to study for. Still, Clark was quite pleased with the turnout, and a warm glow suffused his insides as he looked at all the people who had made an effort to come to his wedding.

The organist started playing the Wedding March, and Clark unconsciously straightened, exchanging a glance with his best man; Jimmy Olsen – who was also doing double duty as the official photographer – flashed him a thumbs-up before lifting the camera slung around his neck to snap a picture of Lois coming down the aisle.

Lois had opted for only one bridesmaid. Thus, Chloe Sullivan, Clark's close friend and Lois' cousin, was the one and only woman dressed in the pale pink bridesmaid dress as she walked down the aisle ahead of Lois.

And there, behind Chloe, stood his future wife, looking radiant in her white gown and veil as she hung on her father's arm. Sam Lane was his usual military-trained, straight-backed and disciplined self as he gave his daughter away, but a warm light sparkled in his eyes. Once Lois had threaded her small hand through Clark's larger one, they both turned to face the minister.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to make a toast," Chloe Sullivan announced, tapping her fork against her glass as she let her gaze wander over the rest of the guests at the reception. Once she was satisfied she had their attention, she cleared her throat. "To Clark and Lois, I couldn't be happier that my best friend and my cousin found love in each other. I've been rooting for you two since the day Clark told me he was working with Lois, and so I'm going to take this opportunity to say…YES!" She pumped her fist triumphantly, evoking laughter from several guests, and a grin from the groom himself. "Oh, and since I've been such an awesome friend and cousin to you all these years, you'd better make me your kids' godmother," she added jokingly.

"No promises!" Lois shot at her. There was more laughter. Chloe feigned a pout, but then she continued.

"That aside, I wish you guys all the love, luck, and happiness that life has to offer." She raised her glass. "Clark and Lois!"

"Clark and Lois!" the other guests chorused.

There was a movement at the next table, and then, to everyone's surprise (and none more than Clark), Bruce Wayne stood up, holding his champagne flute aloft and looking around.

"First of all," he said smoothly, "hello to everyone. I'm sure many of you are wondering what I'm doing here, so I'll just explain a little bit before I move on to my toast. I met Clark when he came to Gotham to interview me some years back, and by a happy chance, we became unlikely friends. I also know Lois because, well…I went out with her for a while." He smiled a disarmingly charming, yet somewhat sheepish smile.

Eyes turned to Lois, who wasn't bothered so much by the attention as she was by curiosity.

"Where is he going with this?" she asked Clark, who could only shrug helplessly.

"Now, for my toast," said Bruce. "As I'm sure all of you know, I lost my parents at a very young age, and so I've been without a family for most of my life."

There were a few murmured sympathies at this. Wally leaned over to Hal and whispered, "Who is that guy and what has he done with Bats?" – because it was so out of character for the Caped Crusader, playboy prince identity or no, to share like this.

At Bruce's table, Dick apparently thought the same thing, because he questioned of Alfred, "What is he doing?"

To which the wise old butler simply replied, "Just listen, Master Dick."

"But I've recently found out that I was wrong," said Bruce, causing more than a few surprised mutters and curious noises. "I've realized that even though I lost my parents, I have found others who have proven more than adequate surrogates."

"Is he talking about us?" Barbara asked, looking at Dick with amazement on her face.

Meanwhile, Bruce went on, "I've realized that I have great friends, both old and new…" Zatanna and Diana both noticed the way Bruce's gaze lingered slightly on them, and they smiled, accepting the compliment with grace. "…I've learned from worthy mentors…" Zatara's eyes crinkled in pleasure. "…I have found colleagues to trust…" The Leaguers among the guests shared looks between themselves, and Oliver Queen, deciding he didn't want to be left out, also added a meaningful glance of his own (he figured he was entitled – he had known Bruce just as long as Superman had). "…I've had a father figure by my side for years…" Alfred's smile of pride had never been bigger. "…and by some miracle, I've also become a father of sorts myself." Here Bruce looked down at Dick and Jason, both of whom were extremely confused but secretly deliriously pleased and touched by Bruce's gesture.

"Anyway," Bruce continued, "the point of this ridiculously long speech is that I've discovered I actually do have quite a few people I could call family, and Clark was the one who helped me realize that, when he was trying to convince me to come." Bruce caught Clark's gaze and nodded imperceptibly as both recalled their conversation on the Watchtower. "So I'm here to say: thank you, Clark, and I wish you and Lois many happy years together."

He sat down to a burst of applause – clearly the other guests were moved by his speech.

Dick leaned towards Bruce and said, "First the apology and now this? I didn't know you could be that sappy, Bruce. What gives?"

Bruce snorted in amusement. His gaze moved to Zatanna and Zatara sitting closely together, and he caught Zatanna's cheerfully approving grin and her blink-and-you'll-miss-it thumbs-up.

"Let's just say that a certain father-and-daughter pair taught me a valuable lesson."

* * *

_**A/N: I am trying to sort of soften Bruce's character without making him OOC. I figured that the journey he and Zatanna have just gone through might have helped him realize that there are a few things he can't afford not to say. Don't worry, he's not going to become sappy, so don't get used to it.**_

_**Till the next time, readers!**_


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